Managing the Crisis
At a time when rhino population is declining, a new project aims to protect them
By A CORRESPONDENT
Despite signing of peace agreement and improvement of law and order situation, the rhinos are yet to be completely safe as they were before. Rhino population is facing many problems.
Deteriorating grass lands, increasing incidents of poaching and apathy of public are creating problems in the conservation of rhino population. According to the estimate, there are now 372 or less rhinos in three national parks of Nepal.
With the support from U.K government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the Darwin Initiatives Programs, a new project Crisis to Biological Management: Rhinoceros, Grassland and Public Engagement- Nepal was launched recently.
The central aim of this project is to re-establish effective capacity, system and motivation the conservation of the endangered one horned Asian rhinoceros and associated Terai grassland habitat in Nepal. The project will focus on three protected areas of terai region.
"The project is a concerted effort of multiple partner agencies particularly of NTNC (National Trust for Nature Conservation) and Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) for saving greater one horned rhinoceros that are critically endangered species and restricted to protected areas, namely Chitwan National Park,
Bardia National Park and Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal," said Dr. Shant Raj Jnawali of NTNC. "Efforts will be made to check both organized and opportunistic poaching that has been the major cause of recent rhino decline."
Nepal has a long history of ups and downs of rhino population. According to Jnawali, the number of rhino increased from 100 animals in mid 1960 to 544 in 2000. Between 1986 and 2003, 83 rhinos were translocated to BNP and SWR.
However, there has been a significant decline from 2000-2005 to probably less than 372 today in Chitwan National Park, less than 67 in Bardia and 7 in Suklaphanta, said Dr. Jnawali.
The past experiences have shown that rhino conservation is impossible without participation of local communities. Along with tightening security, there must be a sense of ownership among the local community.
This is what one of the key components of the project is all about. In partnership with
DNPWC, Zoological Society of London, WWF-Nepal and IUCN, the NTNC will
implement the project.
"As the endangered rhino species continue to decline, this kind of project will definitely protect them from extinction. The government will provide all necessary support to implement this project successfully," said Tirtha Raj Sharma, Secretary at Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation.
"It is a privilege for DNPWC to be a part of the project. Department will provide all necessary support to implement the project," said Dr. Krishna Chandra Poudel, director general of the DNPWC.
One of the major causes of declining rhino population is organized and opportunistic
poaching. Unless the local populations are taken into confidence and ownership on the animal is built, it is impossible to control the poaching.
"We are now emphasizing the engagement of the people in the conservation efforts. It means our project wants to have more participation from the community," said Dr. Richard Kock of Zoological Society of London.
As the security posts along the national parks have already been restored and efforts are being made to engage local population in protection of rhinos, there is hope to revive the rhino population.
"We believe the program will be of immense public interest in the context of growing concern of declining rhino population in the country," said Dr. Siddhartha Bajra Bajracharya, member secretary of NTNC,
