Chitwan. The rhino census, which is conducted every five years, has been in limbo due to lack of budget. The census has been conducted based on donors, so there is a budget shortage this year. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has been conducting the rhino census in collaboration with various agencies working with the park.
According to Haribhadra Acharya, ecologist and information officer of the department, the census was affected after the USAID’s Jal Jungle Project agreed to purchase the necessary materials for the rhino census, but the program was postponed.
The project had already issued a notice and started the procurement process for the materials. The project was to bear the cost of all the necessary equipment, including GPS equipment, laptops, large cooking pots, tents, etc., required for the census within the park.
‘The project was preparing to provide equipment worth Rs. 5 million. It is estimated that a budget of around Rs. 15 million will be spent to complete the census,’ he said.
Along with the water forests, preparations were being made to conduct the census in partnership with organizations including the World Wildlife Fund Nepal, ZSL Nepal, and the National Nature Conservation Fund. According to him, the census should be completed by next Chaitra. The census was planned to be conducted from Chaitra 5 to 25 and the results were to be made public in the first week of Baisakh.
He said, ‘The census cannot be conducted after the end of Chaitra. At least 10 days of preparation should be made.’ He said that the department’s census program would be affected due to the uncertainty of donor support at the last minute.
The director general of the department, Dr. Ramchandra Kandel, said that the census was affected during the final preparations due to the uncertainty of donor support. He said that if the budget is received after discussing this issue with the ministry, the work will be done, otherwise, it will be forced to postpone it.
The tiger census will have to be conducted next year. Since both tasks cannot be done at the same time, he says that if the rhino count is done this year, it will be easier to count the tigers next year.
Although rhinos are being monitored, the count is done to find out the exact statistics and status. The rhino count was conducted in 2021. With the count, it is clear how many rhinos there are in which area and it becomes easier for management.
There are one-horned rhinos in the national parks of Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shukla Phanta. The highest number of them is in Chitwan. According to the 2021 census, the number of rhinos in Nepal has reached 752. The largest number of one-horned rhinos is in Chitwan National Park, with 694.
According to the department, there were 800 rhinos in Nepal in 1950, 400 in 1955, 300 in 1960, 100 in 1965, 108 in 1970, 147 in 1975, 310 in 1980, 310 in 1985, 358 in 1990, and 466 in 1995. Similarly, in 2000, it reached 612, 409 in 2005, 435 in 2010, and 645 in 2015.
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