Chitwan, Jan. 11 -- The grandeur of Debital, the largest lake inside Chitwan National Park, and the fame of Nandabhauju Lake are inseparable from any discussion of the country's first protected area. Nandabhauju is often cited in birding quizzes, a symbol of wetlands that once teemed with life. Each winter, aquatic birds crossing the Himalayas traditionally cluster along the Narayani, Rapti and Riu rivers flowing through the park. But how many of those birds still survive in the lakes inside the protected area itself?

That question drove a 13-member bird-counting team led by conservationist and nature guide Manesh Limbu into the park's western section on Thursday morning. Limbu, also chair of the Meghauli Ghatgai Nature Guide Association...