10 Himalayan Blue Sheep and 5 Himalayan Tahr Hunted in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve’s First Season

Licensed hunters successfully hunted 10 Naurs (Himalayan blue sheep) and 5 Jharals (Himalayan tahr) during the first hunting season at the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve this year.

A total of 12 foreign hunters secured permits for hunting 12 Naurs, eight Jharals, and 11 wild boars in Nepal’s sole hunting reserve. However, one American hunter was unable to attend, and another failed to hunt a Naur. Additionally, permits for seven wild boars remained unused.

The Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, spanning 1,325 square kilometers across Rukum, Myagdi, and Baglung districts, is home to 1,290 Naurs and 744 Jharals, according to a 2021 census.

Pashupati Adhikari, Information Officer at the Reserve Office, reported that hunters from the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, and Mexico participated this season. Despite permits being available for Nepali hunters to target wild boars, no applications were received, said Chandra Shekhar Chaudhary, Chief Conservation Officer of the Reserve.

The hunting season ended with foreign hunters spending up to 15 days in the Reserve, accompanied by guides, representatives from the Reserve Office, and the Nepali Army. The Reserve, divided into seven hunting blocks, facilitates these expeditions.

Foreign hunters typically invest between NPR 2 million to NPR 3 million per expedition, covering costs for bidding, licenses, helicopter transport, guides, equipment, and reserved blocks.

The next hunting season is scheduled to begin in March 2025 and will run until May.