A community that has mastered monkey hunting for centuries, there are now only 150 people left

Kathmandu, June 17, 2023, Saturday

A community called Raute living in Nepal for centuries is on the verge of extinction. Today only 150 people of this tribe are left. The central mountainous region in Nepal is considered their home. which is near the Himalayas and the southern Terai plains of Nepal. The Raute people live in temporary houses covered with cloth over wood. However, since they live completely cut off from the rest of the world, it becomes difficult to find their abode. The men of the Raute community are adept at hunting monkeys.

Once they have followed a monkey, they do not return without hunting. The Raute people sit around a fire at night in winter. What is new is that they consider it a sin to grow seeds in the soil, so instead of farming, they use the grains found naturally in the forest as food. Every day women and children bring grain bearing plants and extract grains from them.

They also eat fruits and vegetables that grow naturally. This nomadic species does not want to come to the plains as it has a strong attachment to the forest. As the Nepalese government increases pressure, they have started living in secret places. The Raute people belonging to the Tibeto Burman ethnic group cut down only a few species of trees and believe in nurturing and preserving them.

However, the forest laws have become a hindrance to their habitat. Hence, some of them were forced to leave the dense forests and come to the plains. They were forcibly resettled by the government in Karnali and Makhali in western Nepal. This nomadic tribe had a population of 5000 in Nepal 20 years ago. 150 people are left.