Photo Courtesy: WWF

Photo Courtesy: WWF
Reports say top officials of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Forest Ministry of Nepal and officials of some foreign missions based in Kathmandu were also on board the Shree Airlines’ chopper that has been missing in the eastern hilly district of Taplejung since Saturday morning.
Those on board the missing helicopter include Minister of State for Forest, Gopal Rai, and his wife, Secretary of the Ministry, Damodar Prasad Parajuli, director general at the Department of Forest and Wildlife Conservation Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey, WWF country representative Dr Chandra Gurung, Charge d’ Affairs of the Embassy of Finland, Pauli Mustonen, noted geographer and planner Dr Harka Gurung, Director General of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Narayan Poudel, Director General of Department
Gopal Rai, Pauli Mustonen, Dr Chandra Gurung, Mingma Sherpa, Dr Harka Gurung (File Photos)

Gopal Rai, Pauli Mustonen, Dr Chandra Gurung, Mingma Sherpa, Dr Harka Gurung (File Photos)
of Forests , Sharad Rai, two Nepal Television journalists, Hem Raj Bhandari and Sunil Kumar Singh, FNNCI central member Bijay Shrestha, Mingma Sherpa of WWF US, Conservation Director-WWF UK, Dr Jill Bowling, Dawa Tsering Sherpa, Deputy Director of the USAID Ms. Margaret Alexander,. FNCCI Central Committee Member Vijaya Shrestha, Development. Specialist USAID, Dr. Bijnan Acharya, Mrs. Yeshi Lama-WWF Nepal, Coordinator WWF UK Ms. Jennifer Headley, and four crew members Captain Klim Kim, Saffron Vallery (both Russian), Captain Mingma Tsering and Tandu Shrestha (crew).
According to WWF Nepal office, altogether 24 people including the crewmembers were returning after taking part in a ceremony organized to mark handing over of Kanchanjunga Conservation Area to the local community in Taplejung Friday. They were returning to the district headquarters of Taplejung from remote Ghunsa area of the same district this morning.

Officials at the Finnish Embassy told Nepalnews that Charge d’ Affair Mustonen was also a participant of the programme in Taplejung. They, however, said they were not sure whether he was on board the missing chopper as “there is no information regarding his condition”.

The chopper had lost contact after five minutes of its take off. Reports said two choppers were sent to the area for search but one of the rescue choppers had to return due to bad weather. The search operation was suspended due to nightfall and bad weather and will resume first light tomorrow morning.

Click here for a large view.
Click here for a large view.
The Kanchanjunga Conservation Area was handed over to the local community amidst a function yesterday.

Known for its rich biodiversity, spectacular scenery with Mount Kanchenjunga (8,586m), and rich cultural heritage represented by the 5,254 inhabitants living within the four Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Lelep, Olangchung Gola, Tapethok and Yamphudin, the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area was declared “A Gift to the Earth in April 1997” in support of WWF’s Living Planet Campaign.

The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project was launched on 22 March 1998 to conserve globally threatened wildlife species such as the snow leopard combined with local development activities like the promotion of health services, informal education, and income generating activities.

“We are very proud to be part of this effort,” said Dr Chandra P Gurung, Country Representative of WWF Nepal. “The handover will be held up around the world as a positive example of people managing their natural resources and enable learning on how to make conservation more equitable and sustainable.” He also thanked the Government of Nepal, particularly the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, for taking such a bold step that proves conservation was being achieved in Nepal through partnerships between all stakeholders, according to WWF Nepal programme.