By Shiva Kumar Kashi, Hetauda, Mar. 22: The one-horned Rhino Census has begun in Nepal from Chitwan National Park (CNP).  

The population of one-horned Rhinos, which are on the verge of being extinct, was last counted six years ago in 2015.

Minister for Forests and Environment Prem Ale marked the commencement of the Rhino census by blowing a whistle at Ramauli-Ratappur at Manahari Rural Municipality which falls under Parsa National Park on the eastern side of CNP.

"The government and other stakeholders are working to conserve the one-horned Rhino which is being extinct," said minister Ale. "The government is striving to eradicate poaching and hunting of wild animals and to protect the animals from natural disasters."

The Rhino census will be carried out in Parsa National Park, Bardiya National Park, and Shuklaphata National Park. The CNP has been divided into 19 blocks for the counting of Rhino. The counting would be done in one block per day.

Details as to the habitat of Rhinos, their age, health status will be collected by the officials by riding on elephants.

According to the inspection done by the conservationists on Sunday, three Rhinos and one Tiger were found in the area where minster Ale inaugurated the census, informed Padam Bahadur Titung, Chairman of Conservation Area Management Committee.

As 373 households of the Ramauli-Pratapur area, which were at high risk of human-animal conflict and natural disasters, were shifted to the northern side of the Rapti River, only security forces are residing in the area.

"As rhinos, tiger, chital, bucks are seen in the grassland of Ramauli-Pratappur are seen in Ramauli-Pratappur almost every day, the area can be developed as a tourism site like Sauraha," said Chairman Titung.

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