A day rodent survey and rodent handling training was organised by SMCRF on 10 June 2017 to train the SMCRF members about the rodents and techniques to handle them. Mr. Rameshwor Ghimire, Environmentalist at MoFALD, former field officer at Center for Molecular Dynamics-Nepal (CMDN), and life member and rodent researcher of SMCRF, mentored the program. Mr. Narayan Lamichhane, former researcher at CMDN, also facilitated the program by sharing his experience on rodent survey. The other participants of the training were Ms. Sabita Gurung, Mrs. Sabina Koirala, Ms. Kabita Karki, Mr. Bishnu Achhami, Mr. Sujan Deshar, Ms. Aditi Subba, Mrs. Sarita Gurung and Mr. Chandra Lal Gurung.
The survey was carried out in Pulchowk Engineering Campus premise. On a single night trap using 21 traps (seven Sherman’s traps, seven Tube traps and seven local traps), total five traps captured the rodents. The captures were by one Sherman’s trap, two Tube traps and two local traps. Thus all three traps seemed effective in rodent capture in the area. The captured rodents were weighed, measured, morphological features noted and released in the area of capture. The training built confidence in the SMCRF team to work on rodent research. A team of SMCRF will be conducting a seasonal rodent survey in the Kathmandu valley along the urban-rural gradient under the leadership of Ms. Sabita Gurung. The project is funded by Nagao Natural Environmental Foudnation, Japan. SMCRF wishes all the best to the survey team.