Chhath: Beyond fasting and prayers

Dedicated to Sun God and his wife Usha, Chhathi Maiya, Chhath, an ancient Hindu Vedic festival observed in India and

How should Nepal take its transitional justice process to a logical conclusion?

Nearly two decades have passed since Nepal’s armed conflict concluded in 2006. However, a critical commitment from the peace agreement

From diplomatic activism to expansion of diplomatic ties

The effectiveness of a foreign minister is often assessed by the success in bilateral and multilateral engagements and the impact

Book Review| If you want to know about Chhath, read the book by Jivesh Jha

Chhatha is a unique Hindu Vedic festival celebrated in India and Nepal since ancient times. It spans four days and

The AI anxiety: Will jobs disappear? Is Nepal ready?

As the excitement for the fourth industrial revolution looms, anxiety grips me. With AI positioned to reshape the world, I

Number of vultures increases by 22 per cent in Pokhara

Gandaki: The number of vultures in Pokhara and its surrounding areas has surged by 22 per cent, according to the latest vulture census.

The census conducted on the occasion of International Vulture Conservation Day revealed the number of the birds known as nature’s scavengers has increased to 471 from 378 in 2023, said Pokhara Birds Society’s Chair, Manshant Ghimire. 

The Society simultaneously conducted census at eight places (the vulture habitat) and landfill sites in Kaski and Tanahu districts, shared Ghimire.

According to him, the census also found out a modest increase in the number of this endangered bird in Tanahu. The endangered white-rumped vulture was found at the highest number during the census.

Similarly, the number of golden vultures, small grey vultures, and dongor vulture also recorded a marginal rise, he informed, lamenting over the decreasing number of Himalayan vulture.

Globally, there are 23 species of vultures, with eight found in Nepal, according to the Society. 

The birds of prey are on the verge of extinction due to encroachment in their habitat and habitat loss in recent periods.

Other factors such as deforestation, industrial pollution, and depletion of water bodies among others are also pushing the birds listed in the critically endangered species to extinction.

Amid these concerns, the gradual rise in the number of vultures has brought cheers to ornithologists, gushed Ghimire, adding that the Society has been conducting vulture census since 2017.