What is the future of White Bellied Heron in Bhutan?

The recent news on the sighting of White-Belled Herons along Phochhu and Mochhu is important to talk about. 

Bhutan is one of the tenth global hot-spot for natural heritage and kindly supports 50 bird species preserving varieties of birds. Great-billed heron (Ardea insignis) is at its critical stage of extinction. It is known that approximately 200 numbers of White-Bellied Heron are existing in the world; out of which 14% of the total species' habitat is in Bhutan. Owing to the survey report undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) and WWF Bhutan in 2022, there is exactly 30 surviving great-heron in Bhutan.

White-Bellied Heron, often termed the Imperial Heron is one among many endangered species in Bhutan. It resides in the wetlands and along riversides. In the earlier days, they were traced only at Punatsangchu, but now they could be tracked even at Zhemgang which concludes that they can thrive in many parts of Bhutan.

Many Ornithologists and tourists recommend Bhutan as the last existing 'Shangri-La'. Not because it sounds correct but because the protection of the natural environment is our national priority. Moreover, the type of tourism sector in the country is dominantly sustainable tourism. Yet, there are many loopholes posing threat to their existence.

The number of great-heron is reduced due to attacks from predators such as the crested serpent eagle, and many people and communities lack awareness of endangered species. Thirdly, Bhutan is developing at a leap-bound rate; the construction of roads and tunnels for hydro-power leading to the bombing of cliffs is posing threat to their habitat.

Nonetheless, Bhutan follows the Sustainable Development philosophy, where the environment is given high priority as prescribed in the Gross National Happiness philosophy. Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) in collaboration with the Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS) is making an enormous effort; they are working closely with the local inhabitants and with the support from College of Natural Resources (CNR) students, they are creating awareness to the people. Furthermore, a captive breeding centre is established at Changchey, Tsirang, which is fully funded by Punatsangchu Hydro-power Project Authority (PHPA

Development is crucial in all countries. Nevertheless, not at the cost of existing resources. One shares a symbiotic relationship with nature and it becomes one's duty to gratify the existing environment in a way that the resources are used in a way that the natural habitat remains green. We as global citizens have this utmost responsibility to keep our natural heritage pristine so that our future generations can also enjoy their existence.