Animal rights activists in Nepal demonstrated Sunday against a government decision to encourage trophy hunting in wildlife reserves, dpa reported. Animal Welfare Network, a group of seven organizations working for animal welfare in Nepal, protested in front of the Forestry Department in the Nepalese capital demanding a reversal of the decision. "Trophy hunting is not something Nepal should promote and be proud of," the group said on its website. "Precious wildlife should not be sacrificed for the benefit of a handful of rich trophy hunters and their beneficiaries." The network said they would continue protests every Sunday unless the government rescinds the decision. Last week, the government announced it was preparing for the Kanchanjanga Conservation Area (KCA) to be turned into the country's second trophy hunting destination. Media reports said the government was likely to issue game licenses to hunt around 13 Himalayan Blue Sheep, a highly prized trophy species, for the 2012 session. A report by the World Wildlife Fund in 2010 on Himalayan Blue sheep showed a total population of 1,500 within the KCA. Animal rights activists have also demanded that the government close down legal hunting in Dhorpatan wildlife reserve in western Nepal's Baglung district. -- SPA
