Yet another member of Raute community passes away

SURKHET: The endangered nomadic Raute community has lost yet another member, with the death of Nandarama Shahi (75) on Thursday.

According to Lal Bahadur Khatri of the Raute Project, Shahi, one of the senior members of the community, died of a heart attack while residing with the group in the Jhupra Khola forest in Lekbesi Lekbesi-10.

With his passing, the total population of the Rautes has now declined to just 135 individuals.

The Rautes, Nepal’s last remaining nomadic hunter community, move through the forests of Karnali Province, sustaining themselves by crafting wooden utensils and depending on subsistence barter.
Their shrinking numbers and increasing health vulnerabilities have raised concerns over the survival of the community and its way of life.