Wildlife deaths due to road collisions inside the Banke National Park (BNP) area are reaching an alarming high levels, with as many as 71 animals being killed in the past 11 months. A dozen of them were killed between mid-February and mid-March alone, according to the BNP authorities. 

The BNP administration blame high speed and carelessness of drivers for the rise in road collisions leading to wild animals’ deaths. The 75-km Shivakhola-Obhari-Chisapani road stretch of the East-West-Highway passes through the BNP.

According to Assistant Conservation Officer Rabin Chaudhary, most of the road accidents occur as the animals move south for water especially in dry season. 

“The animals move to the south across the highway for water in the Rapti river. We have been working in coordination with the security agencies to reduce the number of accidents. However, there has not been much progress owing to the heavy traffic along the road and carelessness of the drivers,” added Chaudhary. 

The CNP administration has imposed time card system on the vehicles passing through the park’s forest. “The security posts instruct the vehicles not to exceed the speed limit of 60km per hour while driving through the national park. But the provision is not effective,” said Chaudhary.

Security personnel deployed in the BNP said that most of the accidents occurred in the Obhari and Shivakhola areas. According to them, the vehicles are allowed to pass the park area in one hour but the drivers often exceed the speed limit on the road between the security posts. 

The security agencies claim that they have been running awareness campaign and security surveillance in the areas to minimise the such incidents.

To control the alarming number of deaths of wildlife in road accidents, the BNP has already installed close-circuit cameras in Pragatinagar, while work is on to install cameras in Obhari, Shivakhola and Khairi.   

According to the park administration, 95 persons were detained in the past year for their involvement in road accidents and other activities resulting in the deaths of wild animals. 

The BNP also claims to have been mobilising consumers committees of the buffer zone and local youths to check on the animals’ deaths in road accidents and poaching.