Wildlife, birds increasing in Mahottari community forests, thanks to women's efforts

(Gopal Prasad Baral)

Mahottari, 27 Sept 2025: The number of wildlife and birds has significantly increased in the Kalidamar and Ratu Mahila (Women) Community Forests, located in Bardibas municipality-3 of Mahottari district.

Around 210 families live near these community forests. Kalidamar Forest covers approximately 359 hectares, while the Ratu Mahila (Women) Community Forest spans about 350 hectares. Both forests are in the same area, but the Ratu Mahila Forest is especially known for active women’s participation in conservation efforts. All office bearers and members of its users' committee are women.

Local consumers, especially women from both forests, have played a major role in wildlife protection, it is said. Bal Kishore Rayamajhi, founding secretary of the Kalidamar Community Forest Users' Committee, said, "Initiatives taken by local consumers, especially women, are exemplary. Hunting and cattle grazing in the forest area have been strictly prohibited."

He added that trees which were young just a few years ago have now grown noticeably.
Kalidamar Forest also features a park. The forest stretches along both sides of the BP Highway and has seen a sharp rise in the number of peacocks and red jungle fowls.
The population of deer, antelopes, porcupines, blue bulls (nilgai), and wild boars has also increased.

Rayamajhi shared with RSS that the deer in the protected area of Kalapani Park have become so familiar to people that they seem to enjoy being around them. Muna Shrestha, chairperson of the Ratu Women’s Community Forest Users’ Committee, said women in the area are highly active, passionate and united in conservation. “When it comes to forest protection, they make no compromises. Women here take turns guarding the forest,” said Shrestha. "They all pull together in the conservation efforts." 

The spirit of the visitors coming to the park area is lifted upon seeing various colourful birds around and hearing their chirps.

“Various birds, whose names are hardly known, have increased significantly in the park, and the meshwire fencing installed in the park ensures that domestic animals and people are not allowed to enter,” says Gunja Bahadur Karki, President of the Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs' Association, who visited the park for observation.

The local initiatives seen in forest conservation indicate the potential for the park area to be developed as a tourist destination of the district, he added. The Chure area in Mahottari district lies entirely within the Bardibas municipality. Tourism entrepreneurs say that the local governments should be the first to initiate planned development work for the promotion of places of mythological, religious, and archaeological significance adjoining the dense forest areas.

“This area has many heritages like Tuteshwarnath Mahadev Temple of Mahabharata-era folklore, the Panchadhura Devi shrine of Goddess Adishakti, the legendary Raimundal Dham where Indra's penance pleased Lord Shiva, a site where tools dating back to the Stone Age were discovered, the habitat of the endangered vulture, the high-altitude junar farming, the Chanoutedanda famous for orange orchards, and a treasure trove of valuable medicinal herbs including Besare and Solighopte hillocks,” says Hiralal Gautam, also the coordinator of the Bardibas Committee for the Promotion of Culture and Tourism and the President of the Nepal Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, Madhesh Province.

In addition to this, it is believed that the birthplace of the great sage Ashtavakra, one of the members from the scholarly assembly of King Janak, is also located here at the current Rajbasa of Churekach.