Volume 26, Issue 77, January - June, 2025

An Elusive and Endangered Life in Grassland: A Rare Sighting of the Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Binod Chaudhary¹, Chudamani Chaudhary¹, Abhinaya Pathak^2,3♦, Bijaya Dhami⁴, Sujan Khanal⁵

¹Nature Guide Association, Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal
²Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
³Department of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
⁴Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, AB 116 St & 85 Ave, Edmonton, Canada
⁵Institute of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Pokhara, Nepal

^♦Corresponding Author
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA

ABSTRACT

Endemic to the grassland of the Indian sub-continent, the hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) confronts various conservation challenges. Though it is enlisted as an Endangered species on the IUCN Red List, there has been limited study of this species. Being a tall grassland dweller with a small in size and elusive nature, it is rarely observed in the wild. This study documents the observation of a very young hispid hare in Jayamangala phanta (grassland) in the Chitwan National Park, marking a significant discovery at a new location. Occurring eight years after the previous recorded sighting, this finding has drawn renewed attention from conservation stakeholders. As this study presents the account of rare observation, we urge for prioritizing an integrated and participatory conservation approach for small and lesser-known species like the hispid hare in the light of surging anthropogenic pressure.

Keywords: Hispid hare, Chitwan National Park, endangered, grassland, elusive, rare

Species, 2025, 26(77), e3s1753

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v26i77.e3s1753

Published: 03 January 2025