This is animal abuse and is forbidden by the country’s law in every sense of the term. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973, forbids any private organization to hold animals or birds in such a manner. Even in case of a license holding company, the rescued animals need to be rehabilitated and freed in the wild within the time stipulated by the officials. But Mason is not only operating without any legal documents, there is no record with either the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), or the NGOs working in the field of bird conservation.
Mason’s case has also exposed that all the three concerned offices – the District Forest Office, Annapurna Conservation Area Office and DNPWC – which are responsible for preservation and conservation of endangered species in the country, have turned a blind eye to such a blatant illegal practice flourishing for nearly a decade. It can then also be questioned whether Mason has been receiving blessings of top decision-makers who have let a foreigner engage in a prohibited activity. Nepal is a signatory of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world’s largest conservation network, and many other similar international bodies. The onus thus lies on the lawmakers and executers to translate the objective of the domestic laws and international treaties by resorting to timely intervention against all illegal activities in wildlife sector. This is one instance where the government, especially the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, needs to act. The Ministry must stop Mason now.
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