Forrest’s pika (Ochotona forresti), locally known as Jangali Thute Kharayo, has been spotted reportedly for the first time in Nepal.

The discovery was made in Sandakpur in the northern part of Ilam, a hill district of Koshi Province bordering India. Wildlife photographer Deven Kharel captured Forrest's pika on camera about four months ago. According to Kharel, the animal was found in the Ahale area in ward 2 of Sandakpur Rural Municipality close to the Darjeeling border.

Kharel is a Jhapa-based researcher and wildlife photographer and has captured various bird and animal species on camera. In 2021, he photographed a pair of Rufous-necked Hornbills, locally known as Hangrayo, at Simdhap in ward 1 of Suryodaya Municipality in Ilam. The bird was spotted in Nepal after almost 200 years, said Kharel. Brian Hodgson, a British diplomat and naturalist, had discovered this bird species in Nepal in 1829.

Forrest’s pika resembles a small hare, measuring 15.5 to 18.5 centimetres in length and weighing 110 to 148 grams.

Kharel claims that Forrest's pika was spotted for the first time in Nepal. “Various pika species have been seen in Nepal's biological diversity, but Forrest's pika does not seem to have been recorded yet,” said Kharel.

The Forrest’s pika was enlisted as insufficiently known on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species in 1994 and in 1996 its status was changed to near threatened. After further reassessment, in 2008 and 2016, it was rated as a species of least concern. Although its current population is unclear, conservationists believe that it is not declining at a rate that would require Forrest’s pika as a threatened species.

According to Karan Bahadur Shah, a distinguished researcher and zoologist, Nepal is home to various pika species including black pika, Himalayan pika, Lama pika, large-eared pika, Nubra pika, and Moupin pika. Shah speculated this might be the first time that Forrest's pika has been found in the country. "This animal species has not been recorded in Nepal before. The photo (taken by Kharel) looks like that of Forrest's pika. But it still needs confirmation,” said Shah.

According to Shah, the small-sized mammal is mainly found in the high mountain areas of China, Bhutan, Myanmar and India. It was also seen in the high Himalayan region of Sikkim and Arunachal of India some time ago.

Forrest’s pika usually lives in mixed coniferous, broadleaf forests and shrubland thickets, according to zoologist Shah. It is usually found at elevations between 2,600 and 4,400 meters. According to experts, it is a common herbivorous animal that thrives in cold mountain forests, which explains why they might have migrated to the Kanchenjunga area.

"It changes color with the seasons. In summer it is dark red-brown or black-brown while in winter it turns brown,” said Shah.

Forrest’s pika belongs to the Ochotonidae family, which is characterised by short ears, forelimbs slightly longer than hind limbs, and no external tail. Little to nothing is known about its reproduction.