Shrinking striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena Linnaeus, 1758) distribution in Nepal

The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is one of the largest carnivores within forest and grassland ecosystems across Africa and Asia and is currently threatened throughout its range. In this short report, we studied hyena presence between 1995 and 2018 in Nepal, via literature and field questionnaire surveys. Our results indicate that hyena distribution has significantly decreased in recent years, especially in areas outside National Parks, and is currently confined to the lowlands and hill areas of western and central Nepal. Although hyenas within National Parks have been least affected, the remaining population outside protected areas would be challenging for future conservation, without the implementation of a focused action plan incorporating community-based approaches.