Bardia, Nepal – WWF Nepal was honored to host Prince Harry and indulge in conservation conversation with him on 21 March in Bardia as part of his five-day visit to Nepal.
 
A major highlight of the program was Prince Harry’s visit to Dalla village in Khata Corridor where WWF Nepal had initiated its community forestry program back in 2001. Khata Corridor in the Terai Arc Landscape is a narrow strip of forest that connects Nepal’s Bardia National Park with India’s Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary providing wildlife such as tigers and rhinos the freedom to roam between the two countries. Dalla is WWF Nepal’s first homestay village in the Terai Arc Landscape that uses ecotourism as an approach to strengthen harmony between people and wildlife.


Starting with a traditional welcome by children from the indigenous Tharu community from Dalla village, Prince Harry made his connect with conservation and communities as WWF Nepal staff and members of the local community walked him through the conservation successes in Khata Corridor and the ecotourism model of Dalla village.


A procession of Tharu dancers led Prince Harry accompanied by Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Sr. Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal, to the subsequent sites within Dalla village as part of his visit. The homestay program in Dalla provides guests with a first-hand experience with Tharu culture and traditions besides conservation and touristic activities. This cultural dance performance is a key ingredient of every Tharu culture and guests at the homestay get to understand the significance and seasons with which the dance performances are associated.


“I shall promote Nepal’s tourism but you must ensure that you will continue protecting these forests and wildlife. I shall be back again!” remarked Prince Harry while in conversation with Shiv Raj Bhatta, Director-Field Programs of WWF Nepal, and representatives from Dalla village after getting to understand the homestay program initiated by WWF Nepal in Khata Corridor in 2011 which is helping local communities gain from conservation through ecotourism revenues of about $70,000 in the past five years. 22 households in Dalla village are currently offering homestays.


“That’s just amazing!” said Prince Harry while being briefed about WWF Nepal’s biogas program by Shiv Raj Bhatta, Director-Field Programs of WWF Nepal, that touches multiple benefit points for the environment and people through alternate energy that helps better protect forests by saving on fuelwood, contribute to people’s health through this alternate fuel that is smokeless as compared to fuelwood, and support sustainable financing for conservation through a carbon trading scheme that has earned about USD 2 million for Nepal and its local communities.


Prince Harry’s visit to Dalla ended with a brief overview of the broader community forestry program by Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Sr. Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal, and Mangal Tharu, Chairperson of the community forestry users group. Initiated in 2001, the community forestry program in Khata Corridor is one of the most successful ones providing a direct link for wildlife to move between Bardia National Park and India’s Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. Thriving community forests, presence of wildlife such as tigers and rhinos, a tangible sustainable livelihoods program including ecotourism, and successful human-wildlife conflict mitigation approaches such as farming of mentha and chamomile are what makes Khata a conservation model in Nepal.


Earlier in the day, Prince Harry was provided an overview of the working of camera traps in wildlife monitoring by Dr. Kanchan Thapa, Conservation Biologist of WWF Nepal and Shailendra Yadav from NTNC. Wearing a WWF scarf that was presented to him by Anil Manandhar, Country Representative of WWF Nepal, Prince Harry did the ‘tiger walk’ for the camera trap. “Not as good as a tiger. You’d be a bit worried if you saw one of those walking towards you,” he joked.


“WWF is doing a wonderful job with the national park and army in conserving wildlife,” remarked Prince Harry as he got to understand the overall conservation operations and initiatives in Bardia both within the national park as well as with communities that live around it. In a parting note at the army headquarters in Bardia, Prince Harry wrote: “I congratulate every single one of you for what you have achieved here. Working together has proved itself, and no rhinos poached for three years is near perfection. Well done all of you. Thank you from all of us who care for all these amazing animals and the habitat they live in.”

“We believe Prince Harry’s visit will shine a light on Nepal, conservation and communities,” said Anil Manandhar, Country Representative of WWF Nepal. “We have built a conservation legacy in Nepal working together with the government, conservation partners and local communities, and the visit of His Royal Highness is an encouragement for all of us to sustain efforts to ensure that people live in harmony with nature and wildlife.”