ENDANGERED HIMALAYAS
Hi! I'm Jyotika. I am a traditional and embroidery artist. Most of my work is a mix of various drawing media. My personal work depicts portraits of endangered species. Through this project, I am raising awareness towards the Holocene extinction happening in the Himalayan region. More than 163 species are endangered.
Visit my profie on Instagram
The loss of nesting trees and bamboo is causing a decline in red panda populations across much of their range because their forest home is being cleared.
Red pandas are often killed when they get caught in traps.Â
They are also poached for their distinctive pelts in China and Myanmar. Red panda fur caps or hats have been found for sale in Bhutan.
The main reason for the decline in the population of leopards is large-scale deforestation. Secondly, commercial poaching for the skins, bone, claws and teeth is offered for decoration, clothing and Asian medicine. A high amount of poaching happens in Myanmar and the foothills of the Nepalese Himalayas.
Rhino hunting has been a primary factor in the decline of this species. Horn and other body parts have been used for centuries in traditional Asian medicine to treat fevers. Hunting is now illegal in Nepal and India but poaching still continues, with these animals still being killed for their horns.
One of the major reasons that have contributed to the declining population of black bears is rampant deforestation and habitat loss. Himalayan black bears also face threats from farmers, who kill them in order to protect their livestock.Â
There is illegal hunting also for body parts, specifically for paws, skin and other organs.
Sloth Bears are currently under threat due to severe habitat loss, the killing of nuisance bears, and poaching for body parts like paws, bones, and fur, which are used in clothing, medicine and witchcraft. However, bear cubs are also captured and smuggled to be used in the dancing bear industry which persists in some parts of Nepal.Â
Other causes of the decline in population are road kills and bear getting trapped in barbed wire fences in agricultural landscapes