The conservation story of the critically endangered greater one-horned rhino in Nepal remains a beacon of hope and a case study of success for other countries to learn from.
At its lowest point in the 1960’s the population of Rhinoceros unicornis (also called the Indian rhino) numbered just 100. With effective conservation and anti-poaching measures, the animals rebounded to where there are now 645, with no losses to poaching in three of the past five years.
This despite the Asian traditionalist belief that Asian rhino horns are even more potent for tradional medicines than that of African rhinos. The conservation success is also despite the fact that the country had a decade of civil war from 1996 to 2006 that played havoc with conservation efforts.
The success of the conservation is mostly ascribed to the proclamation of the Chitwan National Park and later the Bardia National Park in the 1970’s.
More recently, employing the army in around-the-clock anti-poaching patrols and building strong links with local communities have been very effective in curbing poaching. A third of tourism revenues in the areas are allocated to community development projects.
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