February 14, 2025 9:27 am
February 14, 2025 9:27 am

Chungba left the dream unfinished and set off

Solukhumbu, 1 Magh(14 January): Chungba Sherpa was preparing to go to Indonesia to photograph wildlife for a few days. He had completed the necessary preparations for the trip 10 days ago. According to family sources, he had also booked a plane ticket.

He considered this journey as an important journey in his photography life. But he suddenly fell ill a week ago. After suffering from liver problems, he was admitted to Grande Hospital in Kathmandu. Sherpa, who was undergoing treatment on a ventilator, breathed his last at 12:15 pm on Sunday at the age of 64. He passed away leaving the rest of his dreams unfulfilled forever.

Born in Lukla, Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality-1, Khumbu, Sherpa has been active in the field of ‘wildlife photography’ for the last five years. He has taken pictures of rare wildlife by visiting various national parks and remote places in Nepal. The pictures he has taken of wild yaks, snow leopards and tigers have gained national and international attention. Chungba’s life struggle and achievements are inspiring for anyone.

He started his public life as the Pradhan Panchayat of the then Chaurikharka Village Panchayat in 2040 BS. Sherpa, who joined the Nepali Congress after the advent of multi-party politics, was most recently the Chairman of the Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality Committee. He has made significant contributions in the fields of education, health and drinking water.

Ward Chairman of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-1, Funuru Sherpa, said that he had a great contribution in establishing a secondary school from Lukla Airport to Chaurikharka. He said, “We have lost a legacy of Khumbu. He was very helpful and kind. We probably will not find a person who tirelessly serves society without any greed or selfishness.”

Bhumiraj Upadhyay, the then Chief Conservation Officer of the Sagarmatha National Park Namche Solukhumbu, has responded by remembering Chungba Sherpa’s contribution. He said, “Chungba Sherpa was a talented wildlife photographer, renowned not only in Nepal but also around the world. His photography has played a major role in promoting wildlife tourism.” Upadhyay believes that Chungba Sherpa was not an ordinary photographer but a person with a deep love for nature.

Chungba Sherpa took up wildlife photography at the age of 57. After working for Yeti Airlines and successfully running a hotel business for a long time, he turned to photography to fulfill his childhood dream after raising his children.

He had taken online classes from foreigners to learn how to use Canon’s high-end cameras and lenses. Sherpa had taken many risks to photograph wildlife. He said in his interview that he was attacked by a yak while taking a photo of a wild yak. ​​He had also escaped from a tiger attack while taking a photo of a tiger. The Nepalese Department of Parks had given him permission to photograph in protected areas across the country.

Ward Chairman Funuru says that the Sherpa has taken the most photos in Chitwan National Park, 33 times. He had reached Limi Valley, on the border with Tibet, and taken a beautiful photo of a rare wild yak. ​​Earlier, Naresh Kushi’s team had managed to capture a wild yak on camera. Experts say that the photo taken by Chungba as a wildlife photographer is the most beautiful so far.

Sherpa has made a great contribution to the promotion of tourism in Nepal. He has received honors from many organizations such as the Nepal Bird Conservation Association, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, and the Nepal Tourism Board. Sherpa has two sons and two daughters. The eldest son, Chhewang Sherpa, is a doctor, while his daughter, Banda Phuti Sherpa, is a ship captain. His wife, Ang Phuti Sherpa, passed away 10 months ago, while his daughter, Mingma Sherpa, died of uterine cancer a year and a half ago.

According to his family members, Sherpa never expected financial gain from photography. He wanted his photos to contribute to wildlife conservation and tourism promotion in Nepal.

Picture of Phatam B. Gurung

Phatam B. Gurung

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