Kathmandu – Illicit wildlife trafficking, a multibillion-dollar global criminal industry valued at $7.8 to $10 billion annually, poses serious threats to biodiversity and security worldwide, including in the United States and Nepal.
In a significant step to strengthen Nepal’s conservation and law enforcement capacity, Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks, together with the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), handed over more than $700,000 worth of equipment to support Nepal’s anti-poaching and wildlife protection efforts.
The equipment package includes laptops, walkie-talkies, headlamps, searchlights, binoculars, cameras, and medical kits, which will be used by Nepali park rangers, volunteer anti-poaching activists, and community members engaged in frontline conservation.
This support will enhance patrol capacity in Nepal’s national parks, disrupt transnational wildlife crime networks, and safeguard critical biodiversity. Strengthening Nepal’s ability to combat wildlife trafficking also contributes to the broader security and environmental priorities shared by Nepal and the United States.
