Rhino census halted due to shortage of fund
The rhino census conducted every five years has been suspended this year due to shortage of funds.
Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ram Chandra Kandel, said that the census was being carried out with the help of donors, but it had to be suspended this year due to shortage of funds.
The government has not made any budgetary provision to keep regular records of rhinos. Although the rhino census could not be carried out this year, the status of rhinos would be known through the park's posts on the basis of signals of individual rhinos, he said.
Kandel added that the census would be conducted as far as possible by mobilizing all the human resources of the park.
He said, "Although the exact number might not be possible to ascertain as per the census, the status of the rhinos is determined on the basis of the manual observation of each rhino in a subtle way.”
The Department had been conducting rhino census in collaboration with various donor agencies partnering with the park.
One-horned rhinos are found in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shukla Phanta National Parks.
According to the latest census, Chitwan has the highest number of one-horned rhinos. A total of 752 rhinos were counted across the country in this census. There were 694 one-horned rhinos in Chitwan National Park, followed by 38 in Bardiya National Park, 18 in Shukla Phanta National Park and three in Parsa at that time.
According to the Department, there were 800 rhinos in 1950, four hundred in 1955, three hundred in 1960, one hundred in 1965, one hundred and eight in 1970, one hundred and forty-seven in 1975, three hundred and ten in 1980 and 1985, three hundred and fifty-eight in 1990 and 466 in 1995.
Similarly, there were 612 rhinos in Nepal in 2000, four hundred and nine in 2005, four hundred and thirty-five in 2010 and 645 in 2015. Earlier, the rhino census was conducted in 2021.
Holi festival being celebrated in Tarai today
The Holi festival is being observed in Tarai districts today. Mutual harmony and happiness is shared with Holi greetings.
The festival revelers smear colors on each other's face in a jovial manner. The Holi festival was observed in the hilly districts yesterday.
Observed with the onset of Spring Season, the Holi festival is regarded as the symbol of victory of good over evil.
Literary writer Lil Bahadur Kshetri passes away
Literary writer Lil Bahadur Kshetri has passed away at the age of 92.
Kshetri, a permanent resident of Assam, India, breathed his last at Guwahati on Thursday night, chief editor of literary magazine 'Shabdapath', Murari Sigdel said.
Kshetri was honored with the Jagadambashree Award in recognition of his contribution to the enrichment of Nepali language and literature through literary writing.
He had penned novels such as 'Basain' and 'Atripta Ra Bahmaputrako Chheuchhau', and a collection of prose 'Assam Ma Nepali Bhashiko Sahrogahro' as well as short fiction, essays and plays.
Kshetri who had received various awards, including Bhanu Award was feted with the Padma Shri, India's highest civilian award, by the Government of India.
Weather to remain fair in most parts of the country today
The country now has partial impacts of westerly winds with local winds. The Weather Forecasting Division said the weather will largely remain fair with partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region.
According to the Division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of the country, including Sudurpaschim Province while it will be mainly fair in the rest of the country this afternoon.
Light snowfall is likely to occur at a few places of the high hilly and mountainous region.
Light rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places in the hilly region of the country.
Similarly, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of the country, including Sudurpaschim and Karnali Provinces tonight.
As informed, one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces will have light snowfall.
There will be light snowfall at one or two places in the high hilly and mountainous regions in the next 24 hours.
The Division has urged all to place cautionary measures in view of partial impact of weather conditions on daily life, health, road and aviation.
