Highest ever rhino population increase in Nepal; census finds increase of 100 in a year

KATHMANDU: The number of one-horned rhinos in Nepal has risen to its highest level in more than 20 years.

According to Haribhadra Acharya, information officer of Nepal's department of national parks and wildlife conservation (DNPWC), the number of rhinos across four national parks in Nepal increased to 752 in the most recent count, up by more than 100 from 645 animals in 2015.

Since 2000, the Nepal government has never found more than 650 rhinos in any of its rhino population surveys.

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According to a rhino census conducted in 2015, 90 per cent of the animals resided in the preserve.

The tally was determined by teams who divided the massive rhino habitat into squares and manually counted the animals inside, often riding domesticated elephants to cover the distances between areas, said Acharya.

The "direct sighting process" took about three weeks to count all the rhinos, with Chitwan National Park proving the most difficult area due to the animals' large population, according to Acharya.

Deepak Kumar Kharal, the department's director general, said: "It's wonderful news for those of us who care about rhino protection." COVID-19 played a minor but critical part in the population development of our rhinos, he added.

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According to sources, the rhinos were given more freedom to wander and mate after the nature reserves were closed down.

The increase in population, according to Acharya, is the product of a variety of developments, including investments in habitat conservation, poaching protection and rhino translocation between habitats.

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