The Hindu : National : 27 one-horned rhinos in Dudhwa

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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
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27 one-horned rhinos in Dudhwa

Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW: The population of one-horned rhinoceros in the Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh has increased five-fold in the last 25 years.

Five rhinos, including three females, were relocated from the Kaziranga National Park in Assam in 1984 under the Rhino Rehabilitation Project. Two of them later died.

The rhino population in the reserved area of the park, about 28 sq.km. encircled by electric fencing, has gone up to 27.

Compared to this, only three to four rhinos are left in the Shukla Phanta National Park in Nepal.

Tiger population in the park has remained static.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife Division) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh, B.K. Patnaik, said the Rhino Rehabilitation Project has been very successful as compared to the other rehabilitation projects for protecting endangered species.

Though a cross-border movement of rhinos, from the Shukla Phanta to the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary at Bahraich in the State and to Dudhwa, has been witnessed, wildlife officials describe it as a temporary phenomenon. In 1985, four females from Shukla Phanta National Park were brought in exchange for 16 elephants

In Dudhwa, wildlife officials are not very keen on a very large population of rhinos. The majority of the rhinos in Dudhwa have been sired by one male. Wildlife enthusiasts apprehend that the inbreeding would affect the immune system of the animals.

“Apart from cattle breeding, inbreeding science for other animals has not developed,” said Mr. Patnaik.

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