Rhino Census Suspended Due to Lack of Funds

The scheduled rhino census, conducted every five years, has been suspended this year due to a shortage of funds.

Ram Chandra Kandel, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, stated that the census, which relies on donor support, had to be halted due to financial constraints. The government has not allocated a specific budget to maintain regular records of rhino populations.

Despite the suspension of the census, Kandel assured that the status of rhinos would still be monitored through park outposts and individual rhino signals. He added that efforts would be made to conduct the census by mobilizing available human resources. While the exact number of rhinos may not be determined as in a full-scale census, their status will be assessed through manual observations.

Previously, the rhino census was conducted in collaboration with various donor agencies and national parks. Nepal’s one-horned rhinos are primarily found in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya, and Shukla Phanta National Parks. The last census in 2021 recorded a total of 752 rhinos nationwide, with Chitwan National Park hosting the highest number at 694. Bardiya National Park had 38, Shukla Phanta National Park 18, and Parsa National Park three.

Historical records show fluctuations in Nepal’s rhino population, with 800 rhinos in 1950, dropping to just 100 by 1965 due to poaching and habitat loss. Conservation efforts led to gradual recovery, reaching 612 in 2000 and 645 in 2015.

Authorities remain hopeful that alternative resources can be arranged to resume the census and continue conservation efforts for Nepal’s one-horned rhinos.