Obituary: Yonzon always inspired young people to work for nature conservation
I first met Prahlad Yonzon as a brother of one of my friends. Later, he persuaded me to work with him in biodiversity research in the Shiva Puri National Park, which became the foundation of my career in the field of environment conservation. Yonzon was also a recipient of the national award from the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). As a member of the academy, I had numerous opportunities to interview him.
He was a dedicated environmental scientist, always inspiring the young generation to work for nature conservation and environmental protection. He was more popular in the international arena than in Nepal for his contribution in designing national parks and natural reserves in countries like Bhutan.
Apart from being an environmental researcher, his contribution to the tiger and rhino researches is immense. He started his research soon after he completed graduation from the Tribhuvan University (TU) in 1972. He then worked as assistant to renowned biologist Kirti Man Tamang. The duo carried out the tiger research at Chitwan National Park. He also holds a gold medal in science from TU.
He taught at TU for three years before leaving for the United States for his master’s degree in Wildlife from Colorado University under Fulbright Scholarship.
He became the first person to carry out a research on the red panda after completing PhD from the University of Maine in the US. He worked for the conservation of the endangered animals in the Langtang region of eastern Nepal.
I remember him more as the ‘conservation guru’ of the country. There are hundreds of people who had been working under him and around 20 students were completing their master’s thesis under his guidance every year. Presently, over a dozen people had been carrying out their PhD thesis under his supervision in various universities across the world.
Once, while he was working in the Bardiya National Park, he lost his way in the darkness. He fell off a cliff and broke his neck. He was bed-ridden for more than three months after that. A very innovative person, he was the first person to dispel the myth that tigers lived only in the lowlands. Spotted Bengal tigers are said to inhabit the lowlands, but Yonzon was the first one to discover that these wild cats are also found at an altitude of 3,000 metres. This elevated his stature in the field of conservation. He was also the one to claim that he spotted a new species of deer in the mountain region, but unfortunately, he died before this claim of his could be verified.
On the personal side, he was an excellent cook and loved coffee. He loved to cook for his friends and guests. He was a family man and was loved and respected by his family and friends.
Yonzon’s love for nature reflected in his day-to-day life. Since 1985, soon after he returned from the US, he started cycling for his health and to contribute to environmental awareness.
On Monday afternoon, he was hit by a truck in front of the Office of the Controller of Examinations in Balkhu while he was cycling back home. The seriously injured Yonzon breathed his last at Kathmandu Hospital, Teku, at 5:45 pm the very day.
He was cremated on Tuesday.
(Bhuju is the chief of Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology )
Posted on: 2011-11-02 10:17
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