In the wake of a tumultuous September that saw Nepal’s streets roiled by youthful protest and its prisons thrown into chaos, the country now finds itself at a crossroads. On one hand, the appointment of 28-year-old Bablu Gupta as Minister of Youth and Sports marks a bold new chapter for youth representation in government. On the other, the escape of dozens of convicted wildlife criminals during the Gen Z-led uprising threatens to undermine years of hard-fought conservation gains. These twin crises—one political, one environmental—are now shaping the nation’s uncertain future.
The story begins with the Gen Z uprising of September 8–9, 2025, a movement that started as a protest against social media restrictions but quickly swelled into a broader revolt against political corruption, inequality, and censorship. According to reports from the Department of Prison Management, the demonstrations led to widespread prison breakouts across Nepal, with around 15,000 inmates fleeing from facilities nationwide. As of October 16, nearly 5,000 remain at large. Among them are at least 38 convicts imprisoned for wildlife-related crimes—a fact that has set off alarms among conservationists and authorities alike.
Of these 38 fugitives, the breakdown is sobering: 16 were convicted in rhino poaching cases, seven for pangolin scale smuggling, three for red panda trafficking, and two each for snow leopard and musk deer poaching. The list also includes individuals convicted for selling a live tortoise, trading leopard skins, and other wildlife crimes. Three of the absconding convicts are Indian nationals, underscoring the transnational nature of wildlife trafficking in the region.
The highest number of wildlife crime convicts escaped from Bharatpur Prison in Chitwan, a district long considered the heartland of Nepal’s rhino population. There, 12 rhino poachers, four pangolin traffickers, and two snow leopard skin traders—18 in total—vanished during the chaos. Central Jail at Jagannathdewal in Kathmandu reported the second-highest number, with 15 wildlife crime convicts absconding, including four rhino poachers, three pangolin traffickers, and two musk deer poachers. Other prisons, including Nakkhu, Kailali, Rautahat, and Jhumka, reported additional escapes, some involving Indian nationals.
Officials warn that this mass exodus of poachers and traffickers could reignite illicit hunting and smuggling across Nepal’s protected areas, jeopardizing the nation’s hard-won progress in wildlife protection. Bed Kumar Dhakal, spokesperson and deputy director general at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, told reporters, “Local units, national park administrations, district authorities, and police are all working on this. We are assessing the situation and developing plans at the department level.”
Dhakal emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that a meeting of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)—which brings together representatives from the army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Customs Department—is being planned to address the crisis. “The upcoming WCCB meeting will discuss strategies and make decisions to apprehend all fugitives,” he said. However, this crucial session is already five months overdue, raising concerns about bureaucratic inertia at a time when swift action is needed most. Conservationists fear that without decisive intervention, Nepal’s celebrated gains in protecting species like the one-horned rhino and red panda could quickly unravel.
Amid these anxieties, Nepal’s political landscape has undergone a seismic shift. On October 26, 2025, the interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki made headlines by appointing Bablu Gupta as Minister of Youth and Sports, making him the youngest minister in the nation’s history. Gupta, a 28-year-old social activist and founder of a nonprofit that provides free education and housing for underprivileged students in Kathmandu, was a prominent figure in the Gen Z-led demonstrations that toppled the previous government.
Gupta’s swearing-in ceremony, alongside another cabinet member, was more than a formality—it was a symbolic embrace of the youth whose protests had reshaped the country’s political landscape. Prime Minister Karki, herself a trailblazer as Nepal’s first female chief justice, has pledged to form a lean, accountable government. With Gupta’s inclusion, the cabinet now counts 10 ministers, just one short of Karki’s self-imposed limit of 11. The transitional administration faces the daunting dual task of organizing general elections in March 2026 and ensuring justice for those killed during the protests. Clashes between protesters and security forces in September left more than 70 people dead and forced former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.
For Nepal’s youth, Gupta’s appointment is more than a political gesture—it’s a beacon of hope. As The Kathmandu Post reported, the move is widely seen as a deliberate acknowledgment of the young people whose activism brought about change. Gupta himself has a track record of advocacy, having founded a nonprofit that serves some of Kathmandu’s most vulnerable communities. His rise to ministerial office is seen as a signal that the government is finally listening to a generation demanding transparency, opportunity, and a real voice in shaping the nation’s future.
Yet, the optimism surrounding Gupta’s appointment is tempered by the daunting realities facing the interim government. The challenge of recapturing thousands of escaped inmates, especially those convicted of serious wildlife crimes, looms large. The threat to Nepal’s conservation legacy is not theoretical—poaching and trafficking syndicates have long targeted the country’s rich biodiversity, and the sudden disappearance of so many convicted offenders could embolden criminal networks.
Authorities are racing against time. “We are compiling detailed records of the escaped convicts,” Dhakal reiterated, emphasizing the need for coordinated action among local, regional, and national agencies. The upcoming WCCB meeting is expected to chart a path forward, though the delay in convening has not gone unnoticed by conservation groups. Many are calling for immediate, decisive measures to prevent a surge in poaching and trafficking, especially in vulnerable areas like Chitwan and the Kathmandu Valley.
Meanwhile, the interim government’s commitment to accountability and reform will be put to the test as it prepares for the upcoming general elections. For many, the success or failure of this transitional period will hinge on whether the administration can deliver justice for those killed during the protests and restore public trust in the rule of law. Gupta’s presence in the cabinet is a powerful symbol, but real change, as the nation’s youth know all too well, will be measured in actions, not appointments.
As Nepal stands at this crossroads, the stakes could hardly be higher. The choices made in the coming months—by politicians, law enforcement, and citizens alike—will determine whether the country emerges stronger from this period of upheaval or slips backward, sacrificing both its democratic aspirations and its natural heritage.
