Nepal\u2019s Raju Acharya has been awarded a 2024 Whitley Award for spearheading a ten-year plan to safeguard the country’s owls, including the jungle owlet, rock eagle owl and Eurasian eagle owl. <\/p>
Central Nepal is home to the country’s greatest density of owls<\/a> \u2013 19 of Nepal\u2019s 23 species can be found here, including the jungle owlet, rock eagle owl and Eurasian eagle owl.<\/strong><\/p> But there are threats to these special birds; they are the subject of an illicit trade, with 1,500 owls hunted or traded each year in Nepal. They are also at risk from habitat loss. <\/p> Raju Acharya, Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Nature, a Kathmandu-based environmental NGO, has spent decades garnering support for the protection of Nepal\u2019s owls. He was instrumental in driving The Owl Conservation Action Plan in 2020, which addresses the threats to owls from hunting, illegal trade and habitat loss.<\/p> Recognising the incredible work,\u00a0Whitley Fund for Nature<\/a>\u00a0(WFN) have presented Acharya with the\u00a02024 Whitley Award<\/a> \u2013 an honour that recognises and celebrates grassroots conservation leaders \u2013 for his contribution to the protecting owls in Nepal.<\/p> Find out more about Acharya’s inspiring story.<\/p>Safeguarding owls in Nepal<\/h2>