Chitwan, June 1 -- running plan to bring blackbuck from Nepal's western plains to Chitwan has hit an unexpected obstacle: trees.

The government is moving ahead with a proposal to relocate the antelope species from Bardiya and Shuklaphanta national parks to the Barandabhar forest near Tikauli Grassland in Ratnanagar, a project that has been in the works for nearly seven years. The initiative was recently included among the first policy decisions announced by Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary.

Most of the groundwork has already been completed. Ratnanagar Municipality has spent nearly Rs30 million building a fenced enclosure, developing grasslands and ensuring a year-round water supply for the animals.

Yet t...