DOLPA, Nov 7: The Shey-Phoksundo National Park, the biggest national park in Nepal, is soon going to count the Himalayan blue sheep also called 'naur' in the national park.
Naur belongs to the category of protected animals. Naur is the major prey of the snow leopard, another endangered species.
Trekking to Phoksundo Lake (photo feature)
The count of naurs will be conducted according to the double observer method, according to park office. The count begins from various six blocks including Jagdulla, Phoksundo and Saldang of the park.
It is said the teams having 65 persons in total will be mobilized for the count. The team will have representatives from the park, buffer zone consumers committees, poaching control committee, World Wildlife Fund and snow leopard conservation committee. Park's Chief Conservation Officer Saroj Mani Poudel said that the naur count will give knowledge on the condition of both snow leopards and naurs in the park.
The count of the protected animal is conducted every year. It helps formulate security and conservation strategy for the park, he added.
A special training is provided to the team being mobilized for the count. The team visits 1,377 square km for enumerating the Himalayan blue sheep. It departs for the enumeration in a day or two, according to Poudel.
The 2019 census had recorded 4,136 naurs while in 2018, the number stood at 2,702.
