By Nabir Sishir BK, Baglung, March 11: It has been 38 years since the establishment of the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, the only hunting reserve of Nepal. In all these years, not even a single Nepali has gone hunting.

Birendra Prasad Kandel, Chief Conservation Officer said that no Nepali has so far taken the legal permission for hunting even though the team of an international team of hunters often goes for hunting.

Foreigners are required to obtain hunting permits and Nepali are required to obtain district hunting licenses.

Although hunters from different parts of the world come to the reserve established in 1983 for hunting, the presence of Nepali hunters is zero so far.

"Hunting is finally expensive so may not be the priority of Nepali." said Chief Conservation Officer, Kandel.

Nepali people have a great skill on hunting but it is difficult to invite such hunters because of high rate of revenue. It is beyond the financial capacity of Nepali to carry the final burden in addition to the revenue to hunt animals like Blue Sheep and Himalayan Tahr.

It costs around 70-80 lakhs rupees to hunt even a single Blue Sheep. Because of the cost of revenue, porters, and helpers, the needed cost of hunting rises high.

The reserve is spread over three districts including Baglung, Rukum and Myagdi within the Dhaulagiri range in western Nepal, with an area of ​​1,325 square kilometers. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife has been allocating quotas for Blue Sheep and Himalayan Tahr hunting every year.

Hunters from the United States, Germany, Spain, Norway, Canada, South America, and other countries reach Dhorpatan for hunting.

According to Chief Conservation Officer Kandel, most of the hunters reach Dhorpatan by helicopter.

The reserve has been hunted in six blogs including Phaguna, Barse, Seng, Dogadi, Gustang, and Sundaha. Very few hunters reach Sundaha 'Blog' sustained in remote areas.

Total of 12 foreign hunters took the permission of hunting on the first season (October-November) of the current fiscal year.