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VOL. 27, NO. 29, March 28, 2008 (Chaitra 15 2064 B.S.) |
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RHINO COUNT
Encouraging Increase
The preliminary results of rhino count shows that their numbers have increased
By A CORRESPONDENT
After the declining trend in the number of rhinos for quite some time, one happy news has come as the latest rhino census has pointed to increase in their numbers.
According to the census team, they have spotted 408 rhinoceros in Chitawan National Park area during the recent census. This is up by 36 rhinoceros than those found in Chitawan three years ago.
"There are 100 males and 130 females but the sex of remaining 178 rhinos could not be established," said Shyam Bajimaya, director general of Department of Wildlife Conservation and National Park.
The report shows that there are 277 full grown up rhinos and 51 adolescents and 80 young ones.
Three years ago, then census had shown the number of rhinos at just 372. However, the situation is not encouraging in other two parks – Bardia National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve.
Despite increasing number of natural deaths and alarming level of poaching in the last decades, Nepal's rhino population has increased. Having faced a major set back in conservation of rhinoceros following the intensification of insurgency, the changed context after the ceasefire has improved the situation.
"This is a very encouraging sign to see such a rise in the number of rhino population. Our method was very scientific and findings of the current census are highly reliable," said Bajimaya.
This year, the census was carried out in improved mode with the support from WWF, Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation and other international non-governmental organizations.
"This is one of the most reliable census in the history of rhino counting," said Dr. Santaram Gyanwali, technical expert at Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation. Forty elephants and 200 staffs were employed for the purpose.
After the restoration and rehabilitation of security posts along the boundary of Nepal's national parks, the incidents of poaching have drastically declined. Increased participation of local population through the buffer zone concept has also contributed to conserve the rhinos and other such endangered wildlife in Nepal's national park.
Nepal's rhino population climbed down from 612 peak to just about 372 in the year 2005. This drastic decline had caused alarm.
In 1994, there were 466 rhinos in Chitawan National Park. In 2000 rhino count, there were altogether 612 rhinos including 544 in Chitawan National Park, 63 in Bardia National Park and 5 in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve.
According to the census of 2005, the number of rhinos declined to 379 including 372 in Chitawan National Park and 7 in Shuklaphanta. Since 1999/2000 to 2006, altogether 264 rhinos were lost -149 to poaching and 115 due to natural deaths.
The rise in the poaching remains a major cause of concern to Nepal's success in the conservation of its endangered species. Nepal was home to more than 1,000 rhinos before 1950 when Nepal was closed to the outside world.
But deforestation, poaching and shrinking of the rhino habitat in the southern plains because of migration of people eroded that number. The rhino population fell to 400 in 1957 and to a shockingly low of 100 in 1966.
With the completion of rhino census, Nepal has once again showed that it has well planned and well developed know how to preserve the endangered species like rhinoceros
