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Nepal
Often called the “roof of the world”, this small country, about the half the size of the state of Colorado, has 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world, including the world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest (Sargarmatha, 29,029 feet). The great Himalayan Range, contains some 240 peaks over 20,000 feet within Nepal’s borders. Tourism is one of the most important industries in Nepal. The point of arrival is the capital, Kathmandu, the largest city.
There are three ecological zones in Nepal. In the Terai, lowland forests and savannas, there are tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Indian rhinos and water buffalos, along with sambar, swamp deer, chital (Axis deer), hog deer, wild pigs, nilgai, blackbuck and four-horned antelope. The middle zone is home to the Asian leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard, golden cat, Himalayan black bear, serow, goral, musk deer and muntjac, or barking deer. The alpine region holds Nepal’s best known game: the bharal (or blue sheep), tahr, serow, goral, wild yak, snow leopard, and ibex. In 1991 the government closed hunting for all species except blue sheep, tahr, muntjac, hog deer, and wild boar.
Some areas in the Terai are still considered unsafe due to the lingering effects of a Maoist insurgency and the frequent general strikes which paralyze traffic along the country’s highways. Therefore, hunting hog deer and wild boar is currently impractical.
Hunting still continues in some of the most majestic mountains on earth for blue sheep, tahr and muntjac. Helicopters are available nowadays to speed up the assent to the high mountain hunting zone, but for the purist, who wants a physical challenge and to enjoy the serenity of the mountains more completely, operators still offer the trekking version of the hunt, which involves a trek of four days to the high country. These hunts are done in the spring (when the animals are found at about 14,000 to 15,000 feet) and in the fall (when game moves up to 16,000 – 17,000 feet). Perhaps no other country inspires the imagination of the mountain hunter as does Nepal.
Species List:
- Himalayan Blue sheep
- Himalayan Tahr
- Indian Muntjac