AsmitaRanapaheli FIELD RESEARCH
NEPAL
An Indian peacock softshell turtle with its head raised on a sandy riverbank

WILDLIFE RESEARCHER / NEPAL

Asmita Ranapaheli

Freshwater turtle ecology, field research and community conservation in Nepal.

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About my work
IN FOCUS

Nilssonia hurum
Indian peacock softshell turtle

Species photograph · India
Freshwater turtle researchField ecology · Community knowledge · EducationMeet the researcher
01 THE PERSON BEHIND THE RESEARCH

Research begins
with observation

Portrait of Asmita Ranapaheli
Asmita Ranapaheli MSc, Zoology

Field research, local knowledge and environmental education.

My work brings together freshwater turtle ecology, community knowledge and conservation education. In Nepal’s wetlands and river landscapes, I investigate how turtles use their habitats and how human activities shape their future.

With a master’s in Zoology from Tribhuvan University, I combine field surveys and ecological analysis with conversations in communities and classrooms. Understanding a species is one part of conservation. Bringing people into that understanding is another.

Field ecologyCommunity conservationScience communication

EXPERIENCE ACROSS
RESEARCH & CONSERVATION

Tribhuvan
UniversityTurtle Island
Graz, AustriaTRCC
ARCO-NepalSMCRF
Nepal

02 RESEARCH IN THE FIELD

Field projects

Three projects. A shared focus on freshwater turtles, the places they live, and the people who live alongside them.

01 / MORANG2023–2024

Nilssonia hurum

Peacock softshell turtles
in Morang

Exploring turtle occurrence, habitat use and the pressures on wetlands in eastern Nepal.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Turtle Conservation Fund

Inside the project

Field surveys and interviews with local fishers and households examined turtle distribution, human disturbance and conservation attitudes.

The work informs recommendations for habitat protection, community awareness and long-term monitoring.

Read the research manuscript
02 / BARDIASTARTED 2025

Chitra indica

Community surveys
in Bardia

A community-based survey and threat assessment of the narrow-headed softshell turtle.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Re:wild · Fonseca Species Conservation Fund

Inside the project

Citizen scientists, riverbank surveys and fish market assessments help document threats and build local conservation knowledge.

The December 2025 project report describes work at six stations and education activities involving 1,500 school students. No live Chitra indica were recorded in that survey.

Read the 2025 project report
03 / BARDIASTARTED 2025

Nilssonia hurum

Turtle ecology
and threats in Bardia

Investigating peacock softshell turtle ecology and conservation threats in Bardia National Park.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Iguanaland Conservation Fund

Inside the project

Started in August 2025, this project combines visual encounter surveys, community assessments and documentation of threats.

School awareness campaigns and community engagement connect field observations with practical conservation action.

Project information from my March 2026 CV.

Grants & research funding

Rufford Small GrantFunding approved

A broad river channel bordered by forest and sandbanks in Bardia National Park, Nepal

FIELD CONTEXT / WESTERN NEPAL

Bardia
National Park

Bardia National Park, near the Karnali River · NepalPhoto: Nagomate · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD ON

Publications

My ResearchGate profile
2026RESEARCH ARTICLE

Assessing human elephant conflict in Mechinagar municipality: Public perception, impact, and mitigation strategies

Ranapaheli, A., Bist, B. B. & Wayirawo, A. M. Wild Animals · April 2026
2026RESEARCH ARTICLE

Biorhythm, feeding preferences and growth of Indotestudo elongata in Turtle Rescue and Conservation Centre, Jhapa, Nepal

Wagle, R. C. et al., including Ranapaheli, A. Wild Animals · March 2026
2025PREPRINT

Factors affecting the occurrence of Indian peacock softshell turtles and people’s attitudes towards their conservation in Nepal

Ranapaheli, A. & Sharma, H. P. SSRN · July 2025 · Manuscript, not a journal article

04 BEYOND THE FIELDWORK

Writing & outreach

Sharing what we learn is part of the work. Through classrooms, conversations and stories, nature becomes a little less distant.

COMMUNITY & EDUCATION

Conservation
in the classroom

How surveys, local knowledge and school outreach come together in the Bardia turtle project.

Project report · December 2025
NATURE WRITING

The stream frogs
of Nepal

Meet Nepal’s paha frogs and explore the connections between wildlife, culture and conservation.

Read my article on LinkedIn
IN THE PRESS

Working with turtles
in Graz

A portrait of my experience in Graz and the challenges facing an international turtle conservation project.

Kleine Zeitung · August 2025 · PDF

I also share wildlife and zoology stories through Respite, my educational YouTube project, and bring conservation into wider conversations through public speaking.

05 CONTACT / COLLABORATION

Let’s work
together

Working on freshwater biodiversity, community conservation or environmental education? I’d love to hear about it.

Connect on LinkedIn
Asmita Ranapaheli

FRESHWATER TURTLE RESEARCH
NEPAL & BEYOND