Participatory wildlife conservation initiatives in Nepal

The buffer zone (BZ) models around protected areas (PAs) and the landscape approach to biodiversity conservation, which are the major participatory wildlife conservation initiatives in Nepal, are described. The existing participatory conservation and development programmes implemented by various organizations joining hands with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation inside, outside and within the BZs of different PAs, are discussed. The new policies: provisions for wildlife farming, reproduction and research and elephant domestication, recently approved by the government are presented.