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Rapidly changing climate is likely to modify the spatial distribution of both flora and fauna. Land use change continues to alter the availability and quality of habitat and further intensifies the effects of climate change on wildlife species. We used an ensemble modeling approach to predict changes in habitat suitability for an iconic wildlife species, greater one‐horned rhinoceros due to the combined effects of climate and land use changes. We compiled an extensive database on current rhinoceros distribution and selected nine ecologically meaningful environmental variables for developing ensemble models of habitat suitability using ten different species distribution modeling algorithms in the BIOMOD2 R package; and we did this under current climatic conditions and then projected them onto two possible climate change scenarios (SSP1‐2.6 and SSP5‐8.5) and two different time frames (2050 and 2070). Out of ten algorithms, random forest performed the best, and five environmental variables—distance from grasslands, mean temperature of driest quarter, distance from wetlands, annual precipitation, and slope, contributed the most in the model. The ensemble model estimated the current suitable habitat of rhinoceros to be 2610 km2, about 1.77% of the total area of Nepal. The future habitat suitability under the lowest and highest emission scenarios was estimated to be: (1) 2325 and 1904 km2 in 2050; and (2) 2287 and 1686 km2 in 2070, respectively. Our results suggest that over one‐third of the current rhinoceros habitat would become unsuitable within a period of 50 years, with the predicted declines being influenced to a greater degree by climatic changes than land use changes. We have recommended several measures to moderate these impacts, including relocation of the proposed Nijgad International Airport given that a considerable portion of potential rhinoceros habitat will be lost if the airport is constructed on the currently proposed site. We developed ensemble models to predict the changes in suitable habitats for rhinoceros in Nepal. We estimated that about 1.77% of the total area of Nepal is currently suitable for rhinoceros. Our results indicate that over one‐third of the current rhinoceros habitat would become unsuitable within a period of 50 years.

In the current IUCN Red List assessment, the south-western distribution range of the brown bear Ursus arctos in Nepal ends in Upper Mustang, in the central Himalaya, and extends northwards into the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. Although brown bears have been recorded further west of Upper Mustang, details of these findings have not been published previously. Using camera traps, we present new evidence of brown bears in Limi Valley, Upper Humla, north-western Nepal. Covering a study area of 336 km 2 , we deployed 61 camera traps for 3,145 trap-nights during July–October 2021 and 10,748 trap-nights during June 2022–October 2023. In 2021 we recorded a single independent image of a brown bear, followed by 23 independent images during 2022–2023. The images were captured during spring and autumn but not in summer and winter. These new records increase the distribution range of the brown bear in Nepal, extending its global range south-westwards. Our results indicate the significance of Limi Valley as a stronghold for brown bears in Nepal and underscore the importance of formally protecting the currently unprotected wildlife habitats in Limi Valley. Our study emphasizes the need for further research into the ecology and population status of brown bears in Nepal.

Human–elephant conflict is one of the main threats to the long-term survival of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus. We studied the nature and extent of human–elephant interactions in the buffer zones of Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, through household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews, site observations, and analysis of the reported cases of damage during January 2008–December 2012. During this 5-year period 290 incidents of damage by elephants were reported, with a high concentration of incidents in a few locations. Property damage (53%) was the most common type of damage reported. Crop damage was reported less often but household surveys revealed it to be the most frequent form of conflict. There were also human casualties, including 21 deaths and four serious injuries. More than 90% of the human casualties occurred during 2010–2012. More than two thirds of the respondents (70%) perceived that human–elephant conflict had increased substantially during the previous 5 years. Despite the increase in incidents of human–elephant conflict in the area, 37% of respondents had positive attitudes towards elephant conservation. Our findings suggest that public awareness and compensation for losses could reduce conflict and contribute to ensuring coexistence of people and elephants in this human-dominated landscape.

The identification and implementation of conflict reduction measures are necessary to reduce predator attacks on people and livestock and to minimize human encroachment into predator habitats. We identified potential human–tiger conflict reduction measures and prioritized these measures for Chitwan National Park, Nepal. We identified these measures through a literature review, key informant interviews and a local stakeholder workshop. We prioritized the identified measures using a questionnaire survey of victims of tiger attacks (farmers, forest users and fishers), beneficiaries of tiger conservation (tourist guides, Jeep and elephant safari operators, tour and hotel operators and business operators) and National Park managers. We identified 22 measures (12 preventative, five reactive and five mitigative) as having potential for reducing negative interactions between people and tigers. Amongst these, we identified compensation payments, tiger-proof fences and habitat and prey management as high-priority measures. Conflict reduction priorities also varied amongst stakeholder groups. The victims assigned the highest priority to the construction of tiger-proof fences, whereas beneficiaries identified the management of habitat and prey as their highest priority. Compensation payments were the first preference of National Park managers and were amongst the top two priorities of all stakeholder groups. We recommend the adoption of the identified stakeholder priorities for reducing human–tiger conflict around Chitwan National Park and encourage consideration of the variations in priorities between stakeholder groups during policy development and decision-making.

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThe organization’s trade union greatly increases worker productivity by fostering a healthy work environment, resolving employee complaints, and encouraging employee involvement. To ascertain how union practices (collective bargaining, democratic principles, and job security) affect worker performance in Nepal’s cement manufacturing sector, this study investigates their impact on employee productivity. A causal and descriptive research strategy was employed. Survey participants were the employees working in the selected cement manufacturing companies of Nepal. The primary cross-sectional data were collected from October 2024 to February 2025. The paper used purposive sampling techniques; a total of 476 structured questionnaires were distributed, and 247 were retrieved. This paper also employed descriptive statistics and correlation and regression analyses. Similarly, Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the internal consistency. The study’s findings indicated a substantial positive and significant impact of collective bargaining on employee performance (β = 0.691, t = 18.08). A robust, positive, and statistically significant impact of democratic principles on employee performance was identified (β = 0.60, t = 16.76). The results indicated a robust positive and statistically significant impact of job security on employee performance (β = 0.85, t = 18.54).

Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is endemic in many parts of the developing world, especially in Africa and Asia. However its epidemiology remains largely unappreciated in much of these regions, such as in Nepal, where limited information is available about the spatiotemporal dynamics of the main etiological agent, the rabies virus (RABV). In this study, we describe for the first time the phylogenetic diversity and evolution of RABV circulating in Nepal, as well as their geographical relationships within the broader region. A total of 24 new isolates obtained from Nepal and collected from 2003 to 2011 were full-length sequenced for both the nucleoprotein and the glycoprotein genes, and analysed using neighbour-joining and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic methods with representative viruses from all over the world, including new related RABV strains from neighbouring or more distant countries (Afghanistan, Greenland, Iran, Russia and USA). Despite Nepal's limited land surface and its particular geographical position within the Indian subcontinent, our study revealed the presence of a surprising wide genetic diversity of RABV, with the co-existence of three different phylogenetic groups: an Indian subcontinent clade and two different Arctic-like sub-clades within the Arctic-related clade. This observation suggests at least two independent episodes of rabies introduction from neighbouring countries. In addition, specific phylogenetic and temporal evolution analysis of viruses within the Arctic-related clade has identified a new recently emerged RABV lineage we named as the Arctic-like 3 (AL-3) sub-clade that is already widely spread in Nepal.

Investor behavioral factors determine the investment decisions of individual investors in the stock market. The study investigated behavioral factors driving investment decisions in Nepal’s stock market, contributing to existing literature. The behavioral factors comprise heuristics, prospects, and herding as predictors and investment decisions as a response variable. Thus, the study adopted a descriptive and analytical research design to test the research hypotheses and resolve the research questions and issues. A survey was conducted among individual investors registered with Nepal’s trading management system (TMS). A total of 526 structured questionnaires were distributed to targeted respondents, and only 350 useful questionnaires (66.54 percent) were received. The survey data of cross-sectional type were encompassed with a random clustering sampling method for this study. Further, the study employed descriptive statistics to depict the characteristics of respondents’ profiles, correlation analysis to assess the association between predictors and response variables, and linear regression analysis to investigate the impact of predictors on response variables. Similarly, Cronbach’s alpha was tested to observe reliability in the study. The survey findings showed a positive and significant association between heuristics and investment decisions (β = 0.088, p < 0.05). The prospect is positively linked with the individual’s investment decision but found insignificant (β = 0.011, p > 0.05). Finally, herding found a positive and significant association with investment decisions (β = 0.235, p < 0.05). The findings of this study contribute to existing theory and can be a benchmark for decision-makers and policymakers, investors, and others.

Climate change has started impacting species, ecosystems, genetic diversity within species, and ecological interactions and is thus a serious threat to conserving biodiversity globally. In the absence of adequate adaptation measures, biodiversity may continue to decline, and many species will possibly become extinct. Given that global temperature continues to increase, climate change adaptation has emerged as an overarching framework for conservation planning. We identified both ongoing and probable climate change adaptation actions for greater one-horned rhinoceros conservation in Nepal through a combination of literature review, key informant surveys ( n  = 53), focus group discussions ( n  = 37) and expert consultation ( n  = 9), and prioritised the identified adaptation actions through stakeholder consultation ( n  = 17). The majority of key informants (>80%) reported that climate change has been impacting rhinoceros, and more than 65% of them believe that rhinoceros habitat suitability in Nepal has been shifting westwards. Despite these perceived risks, climate change impacts have not been incorporated well into formal conservation planning for rhinoceros. Out of 20 identified adaptation actions under nine adaptation strategies, identifying and protecting climate refugia, restoring the existing habitats through wetland and grassland management, creating artificial highlands in floodplains to provide rhinoceros with refuge during severe floods, and translocating them to other suitable habitats received higher priority. These adaptation actions may contribute to reducing the vulnerability of rhinoceros to the likely impacts of climate change. This study is the first of its kind in Nepal and is expected to provide a guideline to align ongoing conservation measures into climate change adaptation planning for rhinoceros. Further, we emphasise the need to integrating likely climate change impacts while planning for rhinoceros conservation and initiating experimental research and monitoring programs to better inform adaptation planning in the future.

Due to the rapid decline of the Rhinoceros unicornis population during the 1960s, the Government of Nepal implemented several conservation measures, including translocation programs to various protected areas within the country. The program’s primary goal was to establish a founder population and lessen the risk of local extinction due to natural catastrophic events, disease, and poaching. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information regarding the relationships between the translocated R. unicornis population and their habitats, which is instrumental in planning and implementing conservation plans and policies. Thus, this study aimed to understand the factors affecting the habitat use of the translocated population of R. unicornis and the major existing conservation threats in Shuklaphanta National Park of Nepal. During the summer of 2022, we undertook a transect‐based habitat assessment over 15 sampling grids of size 4 × 4 km, encompassing a 246 km 2 area. Conservation threats were assessed through the combined approach of direct field visit, systematic literature reviews, and focus group discussions. Model‐averaged estimates of significant variables ( p < 0.05) indicate that R. unicornis detection is more likely in grasslands (low canopy cover) and in the proximity of water source and farther from roads. At the same time, the detection probability decreases with the presence of invasive species. In addition to this, our study ranked habitat loss, fragmentation, land degradation, and small population size as the severe threats to R. unicornis. These findings suggest that conservation efforts should prioritize preserving and restoring suitable grassland habitats and effective control measures to reduce invasive species. Additionally, population monitoring and management efforts should be strengthened to address the challenges posed by small population size and to support the long‐term persistence of R. unicornis in the region. We also recommend a similar study in a larger geographical setting, considering multiple seasons and assessing possible corridors and connectivity to link the local population with the Indian population to maintain genetic diversity.

Limited information exists on the diet of snow leopards (SL), factors affecting livestock mortality, and local attitudes toward SL conservation in the Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA), Nepal. Therefore, we aim to investigate the dietary preferences of SL, the factors influencing livestock mortality, and local conservation attitudes. From November 2021 to January 2022, 23 SL scats were collected along 24 transects (total length: 21.6 km) in MCA. Camera traps, set within 4 km × 4 km grids at 28 stations for 661 trap nights, were used to assess prey availability. Jacobs’ index calculated prey preference, while a Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) assessed factors linked to livestock depredation. Additionally, 65 households from two villages were randomly selected in a survey on depredation and conservation attitudes. Scat analysis identified six wild prey species, including pika (Ochotona sp.), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), as well as three domestic species: ox/cow, yak, and horse. Himalayan tahr had the highest presence in the SL diet (40%). Despite pika having the highest Relative Abundance Index (RAI), SL strongly preferred horses and avoided pika. Larger prey, such as horses, Himalayan tahr, and blue sheep, were highly preferred. Households with more livestock experienced higher depredation rates. Local attitudes toward SL conservation were generally positive, with an average score of 2.59. We recommend an integrated SL conservation plan in MCA, incorporating local participation, income diversification, and employment programs to mitigate conflicts and promote coexistence.