The India, Nepal and Bhutan governments are considering a joint task force for allowing free movement of wildlife across political boundaries.
The joint task force will also help in checking smuggling of wildlife across the Kanchenjunga Landscape. According to one report, Kanchenjunga Landscape covers an area of 25,080 sq km spread across parts of eastern Nepal (21%), Sikkim and West Bengal (56%) and western and south-western parts of Bhutan (23%). It is home to 169 species of mammals and 713 species of birds, apart from human populace.
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development ( ICIMOD), a regional knowledge development and learning centre, 1,118 sq km of riverine grassland and tree cover were lost in the landscape between 2000 and 2010. 74 % of the area was converted into rangeland and 26% to agricultural land.