Chapter 1: introduction

4.3.2 Terrestrial Wildlife

Kabeli River flows east to west as the bordering river system between two districts Taplejung and Panchthar. The headworks of the project lie in the Kholakharka area (Dhuseni) of the Kabeli village of Amarpur VDC, Panchthar at 560m masl (Photograph 4..1). A small market place, the Kabeli Bazaar, is just above the bridge of Kabeli River.

Photograph 4.1: Headwater area of Kabeli-A hydroelectric project

The diversion dam, reservoir, intake structure and tunnel intake are among the headworks, which completely lie near Kholakharka area. They are connected through a tunnel into the mountain and the outlet lies near the cemetery area of Pinase (Majhigaun) on the bank of Tamor River (Photograph 4.2).

Photograph 4.2: Powerhouse area of Kabeli hydroelectric project

Currently, the bank of Tamor River at the proposed powerhouse site is barren land and also a part of an agricultural field and a local cemetery.. A small patchy forest area exists on the western slope of Majhigaun that joins the banks of the Tamor.The cemetery is not affected by the project.

The dominant forest tree species in the project region is hill sal forests (Shorea robusta). In the lower valley areas and in the upper parts they consist of natural and afforested Pinus roxborghii or Pinus wallichiana forest in the steep slope and in the uphill areas of the valley (Photograph 4.3). However, due to the extension of the agricultural field since the time of local migration, the existing forest is open and in degraded conditions. Tree stands are distributed only in the inclined areas where human settlements and agricultural practices are impossible. Ground vegetation, in the moist valley basin area, is dense while the south facing slope and the landslide area are scarce. These forest areas are not a suitable habitat for medium and large animals and for diverse biodiversity.

Photograph 4.3: Degraded and pine afforested forests patches around Bijuli Danda along the access road

The plant species of the forest patches of the project influence areas include: Schima wallichii, Golthakra, Kag Bhalayo, Tanki,Bauhinia purpurea, Bahunia vaheli, Phyllanthus embelica, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia alata, terminalia chebula, Sandan, Kapro, Guyelo, Tilke, Alnus nepalensis, Syalphusre, Khamari, lagestroima parviflorea, Pangre, Birali lahara, tadi, chiuri, Woodfordia fruiticosa, Lampate, Karam, Spatholobus parviflores, and Rukh bayer among others. Few scattered Bombax ceiba trees are also available in the area. One large Simal tree is protected by the local Majhi people for worshiping their ancestors and it is part of local rituals (Photograph 4.4). This tree is outside of the project boundary and unlikely to be directly impacted by the project activities. There is a possibility to impact the tree due to workers presence and sanitation/ open defecation etc. It shall be controlled and the conditions around the tree shall be monitored.

The slope facing west of the eastern part of Majhigaun is very poor, because of both the dry ground conditions and excessive cattle grazing. People are dependent on this forest for their daily cattle grazing and the fuel wood supply. There is no perennial source of water in the slopes and the top soil is very thin. The less moisture content in the rocky parts of the slope cause dryness in the village area and it seems to hinder the growth of tree species other than pines. Therefore, the forests consist of stunted, thin trees that are scattered. The area is not suitable for wildlife habitat except for a few solitary animals such as ghorals and barking deers. Some seasonal bird species visit the area. Herpeto-fauna is scarce, representing only a few common snakes and lizard species.

Photograph 4.4: Simal tree and Amala fruiting in the Pinase (Majhigaun) near the power house area

4.3.2.1 Mammals

The project development sites houses just a few animal species as the forest area is scattered due to the excessive population density and agricultural encroachment. However, a list of mammalian diversity reported in the project region is presented in the Table 4. 18. The project development site, especially the headworks, reservoir and access road have noticeable forests only at the north-facing slope due to the influence of local water resources (Photograph 4.5). It is not a prime habitat or a migratory route of conservationally or economically important mammals, though a few animals seasonally might visit forests in the vicinity of the project area.

Typical habitat in the project area is a sparsely distributed forest which in some parts can be rated as degraded or scattered and the remaining landmass is either barren land or an agricultural field. Local people anecdotes and observations during the field visits indicate that there is a remote possibility of finding solitary animals such as barking deer or ghoral in such habitats. The Himalayan black bear, porcupine, jackal, civet and monkey species are considered as pest animals by farmers, as they are seasonal crop raiders in the agricultural fields and orchard farms. Leopards are considered cattle baby lifters, so are the wild cats. Therefore, the villagers drive away the “nuisance” animals and sometimes react by killing wild animals and consequently become the cause behind the reduction of the wild animals population of in these forests. It appears that occasionally a few wild mammals visit the project development area for different purposes, perhaps as a seasonal migratory route, or for occasional feeding purposes, or for a temporary habitat, or for socially driven animals (Neofelis nebulosa, Panthera pardus, Semnopithecus hector, Macaca mulatta, Martes flavigula, and even jackals and jungle cats, etc). Occasionally, the protected pangolin species were seen in the project area in the past raising human sensitivity for the wild animals. Special measures (a compensatory forestation program, work schedules restrictions and workers behavior codes) will be implemented during the construction period and included in the EMP.

Photograph 4.5: A small patch of forest near Headwork and thin vegetation near Quarry Site

Table 4.18: Mammals Recorded in Project Sites (participatory information from locals)

SN	Common Names	Scientific Names	Status of occurrence			Habitat				Migratory Status/ season		Reported location
			Common	Sparse	Rare	F	B	O	A	M/R/V	S
1	Indian Hare	Lepus nigricollis	√			√				R		F
2	Particoloured Flying Squirrel	Hylopetes alboniger		√		√			√	R		F
3	House Rat	Rattus rattus	√						√	R		A
4	Brown Rat	Rattus norvegicus	√						√	R		A
5	Indian Crested Porcupine	Hystrix indica	√			√				R		F,A
6	Chinese Pangolin	Manis pentadactyla		√		√				R		F
7	Jungle cat	Felis chaus	√			√				R		F
8	Small Indian Mongoose	Herpestes auropunctatus	√			√			√	R		F,A
9	Bengal Fox	Vulpes bengalensis			√	√				M	S	F
10	Golden Jackal	Canis aureus			√	√				M	S	F
11	Mountain Weasel	Mustella altaica		√		√				R		F
12	Asian Mouse Shrew	Suncus murinus	√						√	R		F
13	Indian Flying Fox	Pteropus giganteus	√			√				R	S	F
14	Tarai Grey Langur	Semnopithecus hector	√			√				R		F,A
15	Rhesus Macaque	Macaca mulatta	√			√				R		F,A
16	Barking Deer	Muntiacus muntjak	√			√				R		F
17	Common Goral	Naemorhedus goral	√			√				R		F
18	Himalayan Black bear	Ursus thibetanus			√	√				M		F
19	Large Civet	Viverra zibetha		√		√				R		F
20	Small Civet	Viverricula indica		√		√	√			R		F, A
21	Clouded Leopard	Neofelis nebulosa			√	√				M		F
20	Common Leopard	Panthera pardus		√		√	√			M		F
21	Yellow-Throated Marten	Martes flavigula	√				√	√	√	R		A
22	Bat	Scotophilus heathi	√				√			R	S	F

Note: Habitats = F- forest, B – Bush, O- Open grass land, A – Agricultural land, Migratory status and season = M – Migratory, R = Resident, V = Visitor occasionally, S – migration season Reported Location: F- Forest, A- Agricultural Land.

4.3.2.2 Avi-fauna

The habitat observed for the project site is dominated either by the small girth Shorea robusta or by Pinus roxburghii. As noted abofve, the forest observations confirmed that forests managed by communities have more mature individual trees than forests managed privately of by the GoN. The ground vegetation is very poor especially in the Pinus roxburghii dominant forests. Birds and other mammals are attracted with fruiting, flowerings and young leaves for their food. The project sites do not seem to have such plant species that could attract avi-fauna. Adjoining community forests and government forests are dominated by the non-palatable species. Indeed, the habitat diversity does not support the diversity of bird species. The degraded area can only sustain a few bird species diversity. The present study shows that the high bird’s diversity in the project area (Table 4.19) is due to incorporation of the species passing through the project area seasonally during their migration.

Table 4.19: Avi-fauna recorded for Project sites (participatory information from locals)

SN	Common Names	Scientific Names	Status of occurrence			Habitat				Migratory Status/ season		Reported location
			C	Sp	Ra	F	B	O	A	M/R/V	S
1	Red Jungle fowl	Gallus gallus	√				√			R		Forest
2	Small Button quail	Turnix sylvatica		√			√			R		Forest
3	Kalij Pheasant	Lophura leucomelanos		√		√				R		Forest
4	Indian Peafowl	Pavo cristatus		√		√				R		Forest
5	Common Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna		√		√				M	S	River
6	Rufous Woodpecker	Celeus brachyurus	√			√				R		Forest
7	Pale-headed Woodpecker	Gecinulus grantia		√		√				R		Forest
8	Great Barbet	Megalaima virens	√			√				R		Forest
9	Indian Grey Hornbill	Ocyceros birostris			√	√				M	S	Forest
10	Green-billed Malkoha	Phaenicophaeus tristis	√			√				R		Forest
11	Alexandrine Parakeet	Psittacula eupatria	√			√			√	M	S	Ag. Land
12	Mountain Scoops Owl	Otus spilocephalus			√	√				R		Forest
13	Rock Pigeon	Columba livia	√						√	R		Settlement
14	Oriental Turtle Dove	Streptopelia orientalis	√			√			√	R		Ag. Land
15	Spotted Dove	Streptopelia chinensis	√			√			√	R		Ag. Land
16	Orange-breasted Green Pigeon	Treron bicincta		√		√				R		Forest
17	River Lapwing	Vanellus duvaucelii	√							R		Streams
18	Red-wattled Lapwing	Vanellus indicus	√							R		Streams
19	Black Kite	Milvus migrans		√		√				R		Forest
20	Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	√			√				R		Forest
21	Little Cormorant	Phalacrocorax niger		√						M	S	Forest
22	Red-billed Blue Magpie	Urocissa erythrorhyncha	√			√				R		Forest
23	Large-billed Crow	Corvus macrorhynchos	√						√	R		Settlement
24	Long-tailed Minivet	Pericrocotus ethologus		√		√				R		Forest
25	Black Drongo	Dicrurus macrocercus	√			√				R		Ag. Land
26	Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis	√						√	R		Settlement
27	Red-whiskered Bulbul	Pycnonotus jocosus	√			√				R		Ag. Land
28	Himalayan Bulbul	Pycnonotus leucogenys	√			√				R		Ag. Land
29	Red-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus cafer	√			√		√	√	R		Ag. Land
30	Red-billed Blue Magpie	Urocissa erythrorhyncha	√			√				R		Near Ag. Land
31	Grey-sided Bush Warbler	Cettia brunnifrons		√			√			R		Forest
32	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	√						√	R		Settlement
33	Dark kite	Milvus migrans	√				√		√	R		Settlement
34	Wooly-necked Stork	Ciconia episcopus		√						M		Wetland
35	Common Hoopoe	Upupa epops	√					√	√	R		Ag. Land
36	Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri	√			√		√	√	R		Ag. Land
37	Long-tailed Shrike	Lanius schacth	√				√	√	√	R		Ag. Land
38	Oriental White-eye	Zosterops palpebrosus	√				√			R		Open area

Note: Status of Occurrence: C – Common, Sp – Sparse, and Ra - Rare
Habitats = F- forest, B – Bush, O- Open grass land, A – Agricultural land,

Migratory status and season = M – Migratory, R = Resident, V = Visitor occasionally, S – migration season

4.3.2.3 Herpeto-fauna

Because of the high human activities, sparse vegetation and agricultural encroachment, there are very few animal species residing in the project area. The project area with lots of disturbances could not be a safe home for the rare and endangered species. However, some of the herpeto-species diversity is reported in a combined format from the headworks area and the powerhouse site.

The herpeto-fauna in the project region according to the literature is presented in Table 4.20. It comprises frogs, toads, snakes and lizards. Frog is neglected, snake is considered harmful, and lizards are useless for local people. These species are only used by some local healers for rituals. The available species, however, have a great importance to the ecosystem maintenance. Presence of the herpeto-fauna, especially snake species, in the inner valleys of the mountain is strong indication of the sub-tropical ecosystem in the project area. As inner valleys receive frequent chilly northern winds, lowering atmospheric temperature for longer periods, snakes seem to be occasional in the headworks area. However, the powerhouse area is south facing and the average sunshine there is longer, snakes and lizards are frequent while dryness causes the diversity of frogs and toads to decline. Instead local villagers report much more insects from the Pinase area during that season.

Table 4.20: Herpeto-fauna recorded for project sites (participatory information from locals)

S.N	Common Names	Scientific Name	Status of occurrence			Habitat				Migratory Status/ season		Reported location
			C	Sp	Ra	F	B	O	A	M/R/V	S
1	Himalayan Toad	Bufo himalayanus	√			√			√	R		Ag. Land
2	Common Asian Toad	Bufo melanostictus		√		√			√	R		Settlement
3	Skittering frog	Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis	√						WB	R		Streams
4	Annandale's bush frog	Philautus annandalii	√				√			R		Ag. Land
5	Common garden lizard	Calotes versicolor	√			√			√	R		Settlement
6	Variegated mountain lizard	Japalura variegata		√		√				R		Forest
7	Bengal monitor	Varanus bengalensis			√	√				R		Forest
8	Yellow monitor	Varanus flavescens			√	√				R		Forest
9	Eastern trinket snake	Elaphe cantoris			√				√	R		Settlement
10	Himalayan trinket snake	Elaphe hodgsonii	√			√			√	R		Ag. Land
11	Spectacled cobra	Naja naja			√	√			√	R		Ag. Land
12	Mounten pit viper	Ovophis monticola	√			√			√	R		Settlement
13	Common bronzed-back tree snake	Dendrelaphis tristis		√					√	R		Settlement

Note: Status of Occurrence: C – Common, Sp – Sparse, and Ra - Rare
Habitats = F- forest, B – Bush, O- Open grass land, A – Agricultural land, WB- Water bodies

Migratory status and season = M – Migratory, R = Resident, V = Visitor occasionally, S – migration season

4.3.2.4 Terrestrial Wildlife of Conservation Significance

Among the reported terrestrial wildlife in the project site forests, the following are of a conservation significance as per the GoN, IUCN Redbook and CITES Appendices (Table 4.21). As elaborated before, the terrestrial wildlife of a conservation significance visita the project site forests only occasionally.

Table 4.21: Terrestrial Wildlife of Conservation Significance

SN	Scientific Name	Local Name	English Name	CITES Appendix	IUCN Redbook	GON
1	Macaca mulatta	Bander	Rhesus Macaque	III	LC
2	Neofelis nebulosa	Dhase chituwa	Clouded Leopard	I	VU
3	Panthera pardus	Chituwa	Common Leopard	I	NT
4	Manis pentadactyla	Kalo Salak	Chinese Pangolin	II	EN	√
5	Semnopithecus hector	Langur bader	Tarai Grey Langur	I	LC
6	Naemorhedus goral	Ghoral	Common Goral	I	NT
7	Canis aureus	Fauro	Golden Jackel	I	LC
8	Pteropus giganteus	Chamero	Indian Flying Fox	II	LC
9	Ursus thibetanus	Kalo Bhalu	Himalayan Black Bear	I	VU
10	Naja naja	Kobra	Spectacled cobra	II	LC
11	Varanus bengalensis		Variegated mountain lizard	I	LC
12	Varanus flavescens		Yellow monitor	I	LC	P

Note: Government of Nepal Forest Act (1993): √Protected

IUCN Red Book: VU = Vulnerable, EN= Endangered, NT = Near threatened, LC = Least concern

CITES: Appendix I ( are species that are threatened with extinction and are or may be affected by trade), II - Appendix II (re species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with the survival of the species in the wild), and III - Appendix III ( are species that are listed after one member country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade in a species).