The ministry has written a letter to Kaski District Forest Officer Friday informing it of the formation of the committee. [break]
In February the government had announced that Mason´s Himalayan Raptor Rescue Center in Pokhara is to be closed for illegally holding endangered birds and that the parahawking amounted to cruelty. It also said holding of endangered species for business venture is against the spirit of National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973.
Mason has sought permission from the ministry to grant him license for parahawking activities and has argued that the Black Kites and Egyptian Vultures currently in his possession will die if handed over to Nepal government, which is mulling bringing the birds to the Central Zoo at Jawalakhel.
“Mason has claimed that he has released 19 vultures so far and picked only the young ones either abandoned or injured,” DFO Bisscu Babu Tiwari told myrepublica.com on Saturday.
Of the 19 hawks, Mason has claimed that one was released recently.
On February 1, myrepublica.com reported on illegal parahawking business flourishing in Pokhara.
The DNPWC, meanwhile, has said that a decision to ban parahawking will be made only after the committee submits its report to the ministry. “We can only decide once the committee formed by the ministry submits details of investigation,” said Gopal Upadhyay, the director general of DNPWC.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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