CHITWAN, April 22: Although there are huge swathes of lush green grass across the Chitwan National Park (CNP), wild animals there have been found eating plastic materials.
Not that the wild animals there have changed their eating habits, but that they have no choice as the green fields are littered with plastic materials. Plastic residue have been found in their droppings.
"Plastic is not only harmful to humans but also animals. There is no concrete evidence to show this, but experts say plastic consumption has led to early deaths of wild animals in the park," said veterinary Kamal Ghaire. "Plastic consumption for a long time kills animals as they cannot digest it," he added.
Tourists and travelers, who enter the park for recreation, are main carriers of plastic materials, including plastic bags and wrappers. The park is littered with plastic materials mostly during fairs and festivals, when the inflow of tourists to the park is high.
According to Ghaire, plastic consumption has become a major problem among wild animals like deer, rhino and wild boar. "Plastic kills animals once it reaches their intestine," said Ghaire.
Commenting on the situation, CNP spokesperson Tika Ram Poudel said they are taking initiatives to keep the park clean and ban use of plastic bags and wrappers inside the park area.
"The situation inside the park is not as bad as it is in the rivers adjoining the park," said Poudel.
Beth Bahadur Khadka, assistant conservation officer at CNP, also expressed concern over indiscriminate disposal of plastic bags in the river adjoining the park.
"Most of the plastic comes from hotels and restaurants outside the park. Even water animals like crocodiles have died after consuming plastic. This has become challenge facing CNP," said Khadka.
CNP is home to over 50 different species of mammals, 400 different species of birds and 65 different types of butterflies. More than 70 different species of grass grow inside the park.
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