Source::RSS
RSS
DOLPA
An animal insurance program has been implemented to protect the rare wild animal snow leopard. The animal insurance program has been implemented targeting farmers for the first time in She-Foksundo National Park and intermediate zone villages.
The park has stated that the insurance program has been implemented to reduce the damage caused to domestic animals by snow leopards, wolves and other wild animals found in the park area. As the main source of income is animal husbandry business, a four-day training has been given to the local farmers in the district headquarters Dunai to inculcate a clear idea about animal insurance.
As the She-Foksundo National Park is home to rare snow leopards, the insurance program has been implemented for the first time to protect it, said Saroj Mani Poudel, Acting Chief Conservation Officer for the park. According to the park, the main objective of the program is to prevent the killing of rare wild animals by aggression if domestic animals such as yaks, buffaloes, sheep and goats are harmed by the farmers.
The cost of the animal insurance scheme will be covered by the premium of the local community and the interest amount of the revolving fund provided by the World Wildlife Fund. This will help in relieving the loss of livestock from wild animals, said Gautam Poudel, an employee of the fund. The Livestock Insurance Programme of Rs 1 million is going to be implemented at Dolphu of Mugu under Snow Leopard and Prey Species Conservation Programme launched at Shey-Phoksundo National Park and Buffer Zone at the grant of World Wildlife Fund.
According to the fund, the scheme will improve the livelihood of the local community, bear the loss of livestock and positively change the mindset of the locals towards snow leopards. It is said that the member who insures his animal can take the loan at cheap interest through an investment of savings and premium amount. According to the park, two to three domestic animals are damaged due to a wildlife attack.
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