SOLUKHUMBU, April 28: Six Himalayan musk deer, an endangered species, were found dead in Tagdi area of Kengjoma inside the Sagarmatha National Park.
Park officials at Namche said that the musk deer were found killed in a trap believed to be set up by poachers.
Chief conservation officer of the Park, Bhimraj Upadhyay said that a female and two male musk deer were confirmed dead while the sex of the three others way yet to be identified.
Officer Upadhyay said that the musk of the deer was found extracted from the navels while bodies of two others were decayed, suspecting that the poachers could have taken out musk from those deer as well. Upadhyay said the deer had been killed some 10 days ago.
One-horned rhino and six deer found dead
He added that the musk deer were buried on the national park premises after recording the details of the incident.
The endangered animals were buried in the presence of chairman of Khumbu Pasang Lhyamu Rural Municipality-4, Laxman Adhikari, personnel of Nepal Police and Nepal Army and officials from the national park.
Officials at the national park said it seems the poachers were successful in taking advantage of the ongoing nationwide lockdow imposed by the government to control the spread of COVID-19.
UpadhyaY shared that a search for the poachers is ongoing and surveillance of the suspected individuals is up.
Though wild animals are counted in other national parks, wildlife counting has not been conducted in Sagarmatha National Park so far.
