Endangered Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros of Nepal

Note: Please don't forget to read the special request of pokharapage.com® at the bottom of this page named as Pokharapage's Appeal.

The greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is commonly found only in South Asia and South East Asia. Historically, the rhinos were distributed in the floodplain and forest tracts in Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus river valley. Today, however, no more than 2,000 remain in the wild, with only two populations containing more than 100 rhinos: Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India (1,200) and Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal (600). Despite joint efforts between Bhutan and India, the survival of a small population of rhinos living along the Indo-Bhutan border in Manas still remains doubtful.

History of Rhino Conservation in Nepal

In Nepal, the rhino population was estimated at ca. 1,000 in the Chitwan valley until 1950. The area was well protected by the then Rana rulers for sport hunting. It was also secure from outsiders since malaria was rampant. Only a few indigenous communities like the Tharus , who are immune to the disease, lived there. Their impact on the natural environment was negligible. After the collapse of the Rana regime in 1950 and the eradication of malaria during the mid-1950s, Chitwan opened to outsiders. Thousands of people came down from the mid-hills and large swathes of wildlife habitat was cleared for human settlements, agriculture and other development activities. This not only destroyed the forest but also affected the wildlife population because of poaching. This affected mainly large mammals including rhinos and as a result, the rhino population dropped to less than 100 during the late 1960s. Recognizing the need to halt the decline of rapidly diminishing rhino population, Government of Nepal established the " Gainda Gasti ", an armed Rhino Patrol Unit in 1961, and declared the remaining prime rhino habitats, about 544 sq km along Rapti, Narayani and Reu rivers, as the Chitwan National Park (CNP) in 1973. The park was later extended to encompass a total area of 932 sq km and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1984 for its high biological diversity. After the successful effort of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), the declining rhino population began to gradually increase. The CNP demonstrated that the population can rebound vigorously when sufficient habitat and protection are provided. It is an example of a population that was almost on the verge of extinction that has recovered while still maintaining a high genetic diversity.

Rhino Habitat

Rhinos inhabit the alluvial flood-plain vegetation of sub-tropical climates where water and green grass is available all year. Many rhinos now live within blocks of the suitable rhino habitat in CNP. Rhinos occurred in highest densities along the flood plain grasslands and riverine forests bordering the Rapti, Narayani, Reu, and Dhungre rivers, suggesting that floodplain grasslands dominated by 4-6 m tall Saccharum spontanium are the single most critical habitat (Dinerstein and Price, 1991). Grasslands interspersed with patches of riverine forests together make about 30% of the park area and have Saccharum spp., Narenga spp., and Themeda spp. This grass species is the fundamental food resource of rhinos comprising more than 60% of the animal diet. Due to the flood and vegetation succession, the grassland may have decreased. Sal Shorea robusta forest associated with species such as Dillennia pentagyna, Syzigium cumini, Trijuga oleofera, Lagerstromia parviflora, Terminalia tomentosa, T. bellerica, and Phyllanthus emblica comprise 70% of the park area and are seldom eaten by rhinos. Inundation by regular flooding of the alluvial plains along major rivers creates conditions favorable for the quick appearance of sprouts and germination to maintain the dominance of Saccharum spontaneum . This makes the monsoon flood very critical for maintaining rhino habitat. Oxbow lakes and other open water bodies are also important because the rhino spends about 8 hours in a day in wallows or streams during high humidity periods (August-September). In December and January, they spend at least an average of a day wallowing.

Current Status and Distribution

Considering its endangered status, the rhino is in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Flora and Fauna) and is protected by Nepal's National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act (1973) in Appendix I. Studies have revealed that the population of rhinos increased from less than 100 to an estimated 270-310 by 1975 (Laurie, 1978). By 1988, the population rose to 358 (Dinerstein and Price, 1991). In 2000, that number was recorded at 612 rhinos (DNPWC Report, 2000).

The census (Rhino Count 2005) figures reveal that the population of endangered greater one-horned rhinos in Chitwan National Park has dropped from 544 in 2000 to 372 - a 31 percent decline in 5 years. At least 94 rhinos were lost to poaching and 66 to natural causes such as flooding, fighting, predation and age. The increased poaching is because of the reduction in the number of anti-poaching posts from 32 to 8 due to Maoist insurgency that had changed the National security priorities and also restrictions on the movement of park staff due to the ground situation.

Funding plea to save Nepal's one-horned rhino

Nepal's wildlife department appealed to the government for an immediate 200,000-dollar funding injection to save rare one-horned rhinos which have been poached by the dozens in the past five years.

"We have asked for 15 million rupees (208,000 dollars) from the government to control poaching of the one-horned rhinoceros, who have decreased by a large number in recent years," Laxmi Prasad Manandhar, senior conservation officer at the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation told AFP.

Dozens of rhinos were killed by suspected poachers during a Maoist rebellion in Nepal that forced government police and soldiers from the countryside, including at two major national parks created to protect the endangered species.

The population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros in Chitwan National Park, 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, dropped to 372 in 2005 from 544 in 2000. In the past six months, poachers have killed at least 12 rhinos in the park.

At the Bardiya National Park, 500 kilometers west of Kathmandu, as many as 23 rhinoceros have been killed by poachers, while another 49 have gone missing, according to the authorities.

"A total of 72 rhinoceros were translocated from Chitwan National Park to Babai valley in Bardiya National Park between 1987 and 2002. Not a single rhino was found in Babai valley during our recent survey," Manandhar told AFP.

"We were very much surprised at how so many rhinos disappeared. Had they been killed, we would have at least found the carcass," said Manandhar.

The rebels and the government reached accord in April on a ceasefire and peace process that ended 14 months of direct royal rule, and Manandhar said the drop in fighting had allowed the department a chance to increase anti-poaching efforts.

He said international conservation bodies, including the World Wildlife Fund and World Conservation Union, had pledged their support to preserve the rare species. Wildlife experts said many rhinos fell prey to poachers during the rebellion, which began in 1996 and has claimed more than 12,500 lives. The animal's horn is valued as an aphrodisiac in China, and is used to make dagger handles in Arab countries which can fetch as much as 14,000 dollars on the international black market. "Most of the killings and missing cases were due to lack of adequate security in the park during the 10-year old conflict," said Omkar Joshi, warden at the Bardiya National Park.

Pokharapage's Appeal

Nepal is a place of diversities. Probably this is the most complicated and most unique combination found on earth. Cultural diversity and the the geological diversity are the main features that uniquely identifies Nepal to the rest of the world. This unique and beautiful combination is the rare gift of nature. This has to be preserved and promoted.

Today's people are more educated and more civilized. They are capable to distinguish between good and bad. But very few are utilizing their knowledge for good. Why? Is the education we are getting is insufficient, worthlesss, or guilty? Why our education couldn't produce more concious people, more responsible people? Why people are ready to do anything for money? There are so many unexplained whys with pokharapag.com which are currently out of scope to be mentioned.

Pokharapage may not fill-up conciousness in minds of those who lack of it, or teach them the lesson of responsibility to those who lack of it because they are the people who feel like knowing the matter better than anyone else. All we can do is to appeal, please stop what you are doing. Your advanced mind or conciousness is creating problem for us as well as your next generation to live. What kind of generation are you planning to leave behind, or what kind of future are you planning provide to your sons and grandsons? A more resourcefull environment or a deadly desert?

It's easy to destroy but hard to build. Please do not destroy our echo system for money. Money never gives you satisfaction neither the thirst of money could be quenched. But if your effort is utilized to save someone's life or to save our echo system, that'd be more appreciated, that'd be more rewardable.

How much do you get killing one rhino? How much would you get killing all the rhinos of Nepal? How much would you share with your helpers? What would be the net total? Please calculate. Now tell us, is that money sufficient to you? Can you preserve the amount forever? Don't you have to spend it? If you have to spend it and you spent it then neither the money remains with you, nor the rhino in the jungle. What would you kill then? Ah ha! Probably the tiger, don't you? Rhino was only for horn, tiger is a different case. You can sell from top to bottom. Nothing gets wastage. But there may be others like you also, probably a huge gang. Probably 1 tiger : 1000 of your instances. Suppose you also quenched your thirst by killing all the tigers. But thirst can be quenched temporarily, after a while, the thirst is again activated. You again search for another species... Finally you'd find yourself in such a time that you'd be hunting for your own species, the human being. So your current action (hunting a rhino) leads you to the time of cannibalism. Your gun pointing towards one rhino is directly proportional towards pointing to your gun towards your own son, grandson, daughter, granddaughter, father, mother or any or all member of your family. You may argue that how can you kill my own family? If nothing remains and only humans then there would be no way. You may be in search for someone else's family to hunt and others may be in search for your family. So isn't your gun pointing towards one rhino directly proportional towards pointing it towards all your family members?

Finally your one effort for saving a rhino is also directly proportional towards better and secured future of your family full of joys, happiness, and opportunities. It's up to you either you choose a heaven or a hell. Pokharapage.com nicely understands that you know it more than pokharapage.com do, but pokharapage.com is observing you whether you prove it or not.

- An article by R. P. Upadhyaya (M.D. and Programmer, www.pokharapage.com)
Copyright © 2007, www.pokharapage.com.

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