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Sixteen sheep and three mountain goats were killed in a snow leopard attack near the Temperate Horticulture Development Center at Gharpajong-2, Marfa last night. 

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project Jomsom has reported that a snow leopard entered the sheep pen of Santosh Pariyar, a local, and killed the sheep. 

There were 45 sheep in his farm. 19 sheep among them were killed in the attack by the leopard, informed Rajesh Gupta, head of the ACAP Jomsom office. 

The preliminary estimate indicates a loss amounting to Rs 600,000. 

He shared that representatives from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project Jomsom, and a team from the District Police Office are heading to the incident site. 

As reported, conflicts between humans and snow leopards have been increasingly visible in the area lately. 

During winter, snow leopards search for prey species and come closer to human settlements in lack of grass in grazing areas. 

Snow leopards, following their prey, also approach settlements and cause damage to local herders’ livestock. 

In recent times, establishing coexistence between humans and snow leopards has become tricky due to climate change effects. 

Citing these reasons, some farmers have started abandoning livestock rearing business in the district.

As a child, I spent countless hours playing with friends on open fields and bare ground. Growing up in Bhaktapur felt like growing up in one big open space, where I could wander freely without restrictions. My parents often warned me not to stay outside too long because they worried about my safety. Today, the situation has completely reversed: we have to encourage children to go outside and take a break from their mobile phones. Bhaktapur once had many open spaces, and even now a few grounds and resting areas remain, though far and few in between.

Sita aunty, my neighbor who has known me since childhood, grew up in Suryabinayak. She recalls roaming Bhaktapur’s alleys every day. Children were usually sent to school at the age of five, and they explored the city more freely than today. “Nowadays, parents are so busy with their work that giving a mobile phone to their children feels convenient and reliable,” she said. “They feel at least their children are indoors and not wandering wherever they please.”

She added, “I had more friends outside my school than inside. But now children stay indoors and don’t learn how to make friends or communicate.”

While talking, she recalled places where she once played, many of which have now turned into concrete buildings. Only one space remains, now divided between a playground and a cremation area.

Deepak Byanju, another local from Bhaktapur in his 40s who grew up in Golmadhi, also misses his old neighborhood. There were fewer vehicles back then, he said, and children could move around freely without disturbance. Today, the area has become crowded, mainly due to the influx of domestic and international tourists who shop there.

“I miss my old home environment where I played with my neighborhood friends,” he said. “But I feel sad for my child, who barely goes outside. The only places he steps out to are the veranda or the roof, and even then he’s on his phone.”

Byanju added that rapid construction and infrastructure expansion have swallowed play areas. At the same time, everything children need is now available on a phone, making outdoor exploration feel unnecessary to them.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) has developed new resource materials to support the government’s goal of declaring all 753 local levels as ‘child-friendly zones’ by 2030. To achieve this, MoFAGA has set out a comprehensive strategy, mainstreaming child rights, policy advocacy, institutional strengthening, partnerships, community mobilisation, social accountability, equitable programming, behavioural change initiatives, and strong monitoring and evaluation. Local governments must meet several indicators to achieve child-friendly status, including building playgrounds and ensuring access to open spaces.

Bhaktapur’s urban structure reflects its Newar heritage, with attached houses and narrow alleys. But because it is also a city of festivals, the main roads remain comparatively wide to accommodate celebrations.

When it comes to children’s play spaces, Bhaktapur still relies heavily on its traditional environment: small alleys, chowks, temple premises, pati/phalcha (communal resting shelters), and, most prominently, Bhaktapur Durbar Square. These are the places where children gather safely and spend their time.

The narrow alleys are so interconnected that no matter which one you take, you will eventually end up at the same familiar place. Chowks, small courtyards surrounded by houses, provide safe spaces for play in the city’s core. Pati and phalcha (traditional public shelters near temples and crossroads) serve as lively social hubs where children often gather. And then there is Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a large open area free of traffic, where children can run, play, and relax after school or on weekends.

But the population has grown and the generation has changed. Bhaktapur District’s population rose from 304,651 in 2011 to 432,132 in 2021. Bhaktapur Municipality itself grew between 2001 and 2011 but saw a slight decline by 2021, possibly due to saturation of the old urban core. Changunarayan’s population jumped from 58,006 in 2011 to 88,083 in 2021. Madhyapur Thimi steadily expanded from 47,751 in 2001 to 119,756 in 2021, emerging as a major residential and commercial hub. Suryabinayak grew fastest—from 55,744 in 2001 to 140,085 in 2021—likely driven by urbanisation, new housing, and migration.

Rabindra Sapkota, spokesperson for Suryabinayak Municipality, said, “As part of being a child-friendly municipality, we are institutionalizing at least one playground in each ward.” For a proper playground, government land is needed, which is difficult to secure. As a result, the municipality has built football courts, badminton courts, and open spaces across many wards. “We plan to declare child-friendly wards by 2026, guided by standards that include education, playgrounds, and more,” he said.

According to Sapkota, Ward 7 has two to three open parks; Ward 6 has football courts with weekly training; Ward 8 has both football and badminton courts. Similar facilities are coming up in other wards. Each ward has contributed Rs 1 million, and the municipality has allocated Rs 10m. He estimates that around Rs 20m will be spent on the initiative this year.

Damodar Suwal, spokesperson of Bhaktapur Municipality, said, “Bhaktapur is built in a way that we must consider everyone. Our infrastructure reflects this, as do our heritage sites, festivals, and celebrations.”

He added that the municipality has built pati pauwa, chowks, and dabali (open stages for rituals, theatre, and festivals) where people can gather and rest. Children continue to enjoy playing in these culturally rich surroundings. Bhaktapur still has several open spaces, including Mahiswori playground, Kamalbinayak, Libali, and Sahid Smriti grounds, open to all age groups.

“Most chowks,” Suwal added, “include wells, pati, dhunge dhara (stone taps), and dyo chhen (temples). Every ward has its own space meant for people of all types.”

The Bagmati Province Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) Monitoring Team visited Changunarayan Municipality on 6 Nov 2025 to assess its progress as the first CFLG-declared municipality in the Kathmandu Valley. Since securing the designation in 2021 by meeting rigorous MoFAGA guidelines and 51 indicators, Changunarayan has strengthened child clubs, improved infrastructure, eliminated child labor in 52 brick kilns, and built inclusive governance mechanisms such as child networks. Mayor Khatri said the nearly Rs 3m allocated annually for children is “an investment in future citizens and leaders.”

Krishna Hari Acharya, a ward chairperson from Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, added, “We already have four playgrounds, parks, and open spaces near ponds, and even more are coming. At dawn, children as young as six run across the football fields. We’ve started sports training through a local club to nurture young talent. Slides and swings brighten the open spaces, and new play areas are rising one after another as we work to create a truly child-friendly environment.”

The Nagdhunga-Malekhu road section, which was being partially closed for five hours daily for up-gradation works, has been opened for Friday and Saturday. 

The road stretch will remain open with no mobility restriction in keeping with the inaugural session of the 11th National Congress of the CPN-UML. 

It may be noted that the Nagdhunga-Muglin Road Project had been working on the section since last December 10 by partially closing the road. 

The project has shared the information that the road section would not be closed for two days. 

Chief of the Nagdhunga-Muglin Road Project eastern section Keshab Prasad Ojha informed that after this the road up-gradation works would continue by closing the road operations during the stated time as per the previous schedule. 

"We have been carrying out the works on the road section by restricting the mobility for five hours from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm since December 10 in coordination with the Dhading and Kathmandu district administration offices. We took the decision not to close the road considering possible traffic pressure in view of the UML's National Congress", he shared. 

A group of Youth Association on Wednesday had met Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Kulman Ghising and requested that the road be opened for two days for the party's national congress. 

A tiger census is scheduled to begin in Chitwan National Park (CNP) from December 16. The census will also be conducted in three other national parks: Banke, Bardiya, and Shuklaphanta. 

The three-month survey is conducted every four years.

According to CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar, enumerators will undergo orientation on December 16–17.

Participants will include CNP staff, technical experts from the National Trust for Nature Conservation, local volunteers, students, and conservation partners. 

Around 150 personnel will be mobilized for the census.

Magar said that 900 grids have been demarcated in the two wildlife reserves. This means that a two square kilometres area will be counted using one grid. 

During the counting process, the two reserves will be divided into three sections for counting. 

Cameras will be placed in each section for 20 days. Each section will have 300 grids. 

A camera will be placed in a grid for 20 days. Technicians will set up camp and stay in the spaces between the grids to conduct the counting.

Previously, in the tiger census conducted in 2022, it was reported that there were 335 adult tigers in Nepal. 

In that census, 128 tigers were counted in Chitwan, 125 in Bardia National Park, 25 in Banke National Park, 41 in Parsa and 36 in Shuklaphanta.

According to Magar, preparations are underway to conduct a rhino census after the tiger census is completed.