Surya Narayan Shahi, the head of the endangered and nomadic Raute community, passed away on Monday night at around 9:30 pm.

He had been leading one of the two Raute groups currently living in Karnali Province, according to social worker Lal Bahadur Khatri of the Social Service Centre (SOSEC) Nepal.

His death has been attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.

Surya Narayan had been appointed as chief in May 2015.

The Raute, Nepal’s last nomadic indigenous group, traditionally live in forested areas, moving periodically to avoid overexploitation of natural resources.

Currently, the Raute population is split between two main camps: one in Sotkhola, Barahatal Rural Municipality–8, led by Surya Narayan, and another in Karekholi, Birendranagar–13.

Despite efforts to improve conditions, the Raute continue to face a crisis in health and well-being. High rates of infant mortality, malnutrition, and lack of access to proper maternal care remain pressing issues.

Alcoholism is rampant within the community and has been cited as a major contributor to poor health outcomes, especially among pregnant women and infants.