In an effort to preserve and increase the present population of Great One-horned Rhinoceros, Nepal on May 20 has begun a census of the endangered species in Bardiya National Park and Wildlife Reserve where it has become a rare sight.
For the census, rhino experts will be combing the Bardiya National Park and Wildlife Reserve 320-km (200 miles) of area, in southwest of Kathmandu, where 83 rhinos from another reserve have been released since 1984. Habitat loss and the violence that was sparked by Maoist rebels have caused a decline in the number of rhinos from the Babai Valley, a part of the reserve.
Omkar Joshi, national park official told Reuters:
We’ll look for the animals for two weeks after which we’ll come out with how many of them are still alive, how many have been killed or swept away by rivers. This will help us know the post-conflict situation.
The rhino poaching was increased in the area after security posts were closed as a fear of Maoists threats. However now the authorities are planning to reopen these posts because the Maoists are in government under a peace deal.
Rhinos are poached, as they are believed to give potency and healing power. The Chinese also use the horn and parts in traditional medicines, as they believe it to have aphrodisiac qualities.
The rhino population in the Chitwan National Park in central Nepal came down to 372 from 544 between 2000 and 2005. The only home left for these large mammals that remain confined to grasslands and forests is the Kaziranga National Park, in the northeastern Indian State of Assam.
Source:reuters