Publications by authors named "Hari Prasad Sharma"

Article Synopsis
  • Understanding the distribution of the Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) is crucial for conservation efforts in human-dominated landscapes, particularly in the Parsa-Koshi Complex of Nepal.
  • Researchers deployed cameras at 154 sites and found moderate occupancy (0.321) and detection probability (0.315) of porcupines, with higher occurrences in protected areas compared to outside.
  • The study revealed that porcupine occupancy is positively influenced by agricultural land and human presence, while it decreases with more forest canopy cover, indicating the species' adaptability but also the potential for increased human-wildlife conflicts.
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  • Urbanization leads to changes in bird behavior and increased coexistence with humans, particularly in rapidly developing areas like Nepal.
  • A study in Kathmandu Valley examined flight initiation distances (FID) of 33 bird species to assess their tolerance towards humans, revealing that urban birds are generally more tolerant than rural ones.
  • Factors influencing bird tolerance include dietary guild, time of day, body size, and human population density, indicating a need for further research on the impacts of increased bird tolerance on urban populations.
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White-rumped vultures () are critically endangered species, and protecting their habitats, particularly the nesting trees, may have a positive impact on their reproductive success. For a better understanding of vultures' habitat needs, the characteristics of nesting trees should be accounted. In this paper, we compare the characteristics of the trees that have vultures' nests and that do not by randomly select a control tree within a 10 m radius of the nesting tree.

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  • The Chinese pangolin faces threats from illegal hunting, trade, and habitat loss, making effective conservation strategies essential, especially in areas like the Kathmandu Valley.
  • Our study examined how human activities and environmental factors affect pangolin burrows in the Chandragiri-Champadevi Hills, where we surveyed 72 plots along varying elevations.
  • Results showed that pangolin burrows are more abundant further from roads and human settlements, with their numbers decreasing at higher elevations and varying according to noise, slope, and vegetation cover, highlighting the need for targeted management to protect their habitats.
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Globally, biodiversity is declining due to habitat loss and degradation, over-exploitation, climate change, invasive species, pollution, and infrastructure development. These threats affect the populations of large waterbird species, such as Sarus crane (), which inhabits agricultural-wetland ecosystems. Despite the burgeoning built-up areas and diminishing agricultural and wetland spaces, scant research investigates the impact of these changing land uses on the globally vulnerable Sarus crane in Nepal.

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Co-occurrence and spatial and temporal overlap of sympatric jungle and leopard cats are influenced by habitat preferences, and interspecific competition. Understanding these factors influence is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. We conducted a camera survey in Parsa‒Koshi Complex (PKC), Nepal during December 2022-March 2023 to investigate factors influencing occupancy and spatial and temporal overlap between jungle cats (Felis chaus) and leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis).

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Understanding factors associated with coexistence of human and wildlife in human-dominated landscapes is crucial for effective species conservation. Among the wildlife species, the sloth bears are found both inside and outside the protected areas of Nepal, and with increasing cases of human and bear conflicts in both areas. This highlights the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of anthropogenic and ecological factors that affect the occurrence of sloth bear.

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Among the several anthropogenic factors, power lines are increasingly regarded as one of the most significant hazards to bird species, primarily owing to collisions and electrocutions. Nepal has comparatively fewer studies on the impact of power line collisions and electrocution on birds compared with developed nations. From November 2021 to May 2022, we assessed the effect of power line collisions and electrocutions on the mortality of birds in the Putalibazar Municipality of the Syangja district of Nepal.

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Human-wildlife interactions occur where human and wildlife coexist and share common resources including food or shelter. Increasing wildlife populations within protected areas also can increase interactions with humans living adjacent to these areas, resulting in conflicts including human casualty, livestock depredation, crop damage, and property loss. We analyzed six years human-wildlife conflict data from 2016-2021 in the buffer zone of Shuklaphanta National Park and conducted questionnaire survey to investigate factors influencing human-wildlife conflicts.

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The decline in mammalian species diversity is increasing worldwide, with areas characterized by high human activities experiencing more prominent effects. Knowledge of spatial distributions of species and factors acting on them is necessary for effective management. We evaluated community-level occupancy of mammal species in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR), Nepal using remote cameras during 15 March-15 June 2022.

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Article Synopsis
  • Habitat suitability is essential for species survival and can be determined through the analysis of ecological factors and species occurrences.
  • Researchers used ecological niche modeling to identify potential nesting habitats for the Egyptian vulture in Nepal, estimating around 38,204 km of suitable area, mainly in mountainous regions with high precipitation.
  • The study highlighted that nesting sites are most effective near forests and human settlements, particularly in central and western Nepal, leading to recommendations for the conservation of these areas to support the long-term survival of the species.
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Background: Zoological gardens (Zoo) provide abode to various threatened animals or trafficked animals seized by the authorities, and injured and orphaned animals. Captive animals are more susceptible to infection as they are under significant stress due to diet and space which further dwindle their resistance to parasitic infections.

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and burden of gastrointestinal parasites in captive mammals housed at Central Zoo.

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The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a myrmecophagous, nocturnal mammal species that occurs in forests, agricultural lands, and grasslands. It is critically endangered due to illegal hunting and habitat loss. Characterizing the Chinese pangolin’s habitat and diet could improve our knowledge of the conditions necessary for species persistence; however, limited information is available.

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Due to an abundance and diversity of vultures, Nepal is one of the most important countries for vulture conservation. Within Nepal, the Pokhara Valley is especially significant. We examine the distribution of vultures within the Pokhara Valley by conducting counts at 11 potential feeding or roosting sites using point count method.

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Background: Disease transmission among humans, domestic animals and wildlife can have profound consequences in human health, wildlife conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. The issue of disease transmission can be particularly important for threatened wildlife species, yet such information remains scarce due to logistic constraints and government regulation on animal handlings. The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is one of the globally threatened species challenged with habitat fragmentation and human disturbance.

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Wildlife attacks on livestock near human settlements are increasing due to the proximity of humans to protected areas. These attacks are often severe due to depredations of livestock adversely affecting the livelihoods of people. The nature of carnivore depredations on livestock can differ based on the carnivore species, animal husbandry practices, season, and deterrent technique.

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The Tarai region of Nepal is regarded as the food bowl of Nepal, and yet urban areas have increased in size at an average annual rate of 12% for the 30 years since 1988/1989, largely at the expense of prime agricultural land. Nepal is recognized internationally as highly sensitive to food security with 40% of its population undernourished. To aid future planning and reduce potential further loss of agricultural land and consequent increased food insecurity, we here investigated the previously unknown factors underlying this rapid urban expansion.

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