Submit your Article

The environment in Chitwan National Park is considered suitable for rhinoceros. Similarly, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for wild water buffalo, locally known as Arna. Likewise, Shuklaphanta has a suitable environment for swamp deer. These wildlife species thrive in these natural habitats. Of late, there have been efforts to translocate them to new locations, but these efforts have failed to deliver desired results.

In the past 36 years, 120 rhinos have been translocated from Chitwan National Park to Bardiya National Park. Of these 120 rhinos, only 38 remain. Similarly, four rhinoceroses were translocated to Shuklaphanta National Park in 20021 and another 10 in 2016. Shuklaphanta's rhino population has reached 17. In Bardiya, the number has decreased significantly.

Likewise, of the 15 Arna brought to Chitwan National Park (three from Central Zoo, Kathmandu, and 12 from Koshi Tappu), none survived. Four swamp deer brought from Shuklaphanta to Chitwan also couldn’t survive. 

At a time when translocation efforts are not delivering desired results, efforts are underway to take two rhinoceroses from Chitwan to Koshi Tappu. While preparations are underway to relocate two rhinoceroses rescued and raised by the park officials after they got separated from their mothers, conservation activists have been saying that wildlife relocation efforts have not been successful in Nepal. 

Rampreet Yadav, the former Chief Conservation Officer of Chitwan National Park, said translocations were being carried out without proper study and discussion. He said that is not in favor of translocation. “Rhinoceros population didn’t increase in Bardiya and Shuklaphanta. Likewise, swamp deer and Arna brought to Chitwan didn’t survive. This shows translocation efforts were not delivering desired results,” he added. “Proper consideration should be given to habitat, environment, and grazing grounds before translocation.”

Nepal had sent rhinoceroses to Dudhwa National Park in India after being denied relocation by Kaziranga National Park in Assam. But in Nepal, rhino translocations have been ongoing without assessing their success.

Nepal first translocated rhinoceroses to Bardiya in 1986. More rhinoceroses were moved to Bardiya in 2003 and 2017. In 2005, Bardiya had 67 rhinoceroses. The number dropped to 22 in 2008. As per the 2021 count, Bardiya has 38 rhinoceroses. National park officials say rhinos move from Bardiya to Katarniyaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India.

Ten rhinoceroses were translocated to Shuklaphanta in March 2017. The number has grown to 17. Conservation activists say the population didn’t increase as expected because the habitat there, mainly composed of large grasslands, is not suitable for rhinoceroses. “Translocation would have made sense had there been a huge population of, say, 2,000-3,000 rhinos. Translocation is not a good move given the small size of the rhino population. It has not yielded any success,” Ram Kumar Aryal, former chief of National Trust for Nature Conservation, Sauraha, said. “The rhino population increased significantly in Chitwan, but it is decreasing in Bardiya.”

According to Aryal, more translocations will only invite more challenges for conservation. The two rhinos being prepared for translocation, Pushpa (four years) and Anjali (2.5 years), were rescued by conservation workers when they got separated from their mothers. These two calves were raised in NTNC Sauraha Office and released in the Lamital area of the national park. Pushpa and Anjali are being translocated to Koshi Tappu on Wednesday.

Tourism entrepreneurs in Sauraha have expressed dissatisfaction with rhino translocation. “Who will be responsible for the loss in rhino population due to translocations in the past?” Suman Ghimire, former president of the Regional Hotel Association of Nepal, Sauraha, said. “We are not against translocation. But a proper study and discussions should be held before relocation.”

Doctors serving in different hospitals staged a protest in the Capital on Tuesday demanding security.

They staged a demonstration in Maitighar this afternoon in protest against the assult on doctors of Lamjung Hospital and Manipal Teaching Hospital.

While staging the protest, they demanded the resignation of Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha and Health Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet.

The doctors staged the protest carrying placards and banners with various slogans such as How long will they attack the doctors? And Doctors cannot be assaulted among others.

Nepal Medical Association General Secretary Dr Sanjeeb Tiwari said that the people involved in attacking doctors in various parts of the country should be brought to book.

It has become difficult for doctors and health workers to provide health services in a safe environment in health institutions across the country after a doctor was assaulted following the death of a patient in the Manipal Teaching Hospital recetnly, he said.

Dr Tiwari said that the environment of providing regular health services will be adversely affected if stern action is not taken against the culprits.

Indra Jatra has formally begun in Kathmandu Valley.

The biggest festival of the Valley began with the installation of a wooden pole (lingo) in the premises of Hanumandhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square on Tuesday.

The festival dedicated to Indra, the god of rain and king of heaven, is celebrated for eight days.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has banned vehicles in the area where the Indra Jatra procession will take place.

The metropolis has restricted the movement of all types of vehicles in Basantapur, Maru, Chingamukal, Jaisidewal, Lagan, Brahmatole, Kohiti, Bhimsensthan on Thursday.

The movement of vehicles has been restricted in Basantapur, Pyafal, Yatkha, Naradevi, Tengal, Nyukha, Nhektala, Machhindrabahal, Indrachowk, Makhan and Hanumandhoka on Friday and Basantapur, Pyafal, Yatkha, Naradevi, Kilagh, Bhedasingh, Indrachowk and Makhan on Saturday.

On this occasion, Lakhe dance are performed on the streets of Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, the lingo, brought to Hanumandhoka from a jungle in Bhaktapur, was erected with the help of locals and Nepal Army personnel.

The lingo-erection procession was marked with fanfare.

Two rhinos of Chitwan National Park have been shifted to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.

Four-year-old Pushpa and two-year-old Anjali have been taken to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve from the Chitwan National Park this morning.

Before being transferred to the Koshi Tappu, they were kept in the cage for the  past one week.

Wildlife technician Lal Bahadur Mahatara had monitored them.

Born in Tamaspur of Nawalpur under the Chitwan National Park in 2019, Pushpa was rescued from the muddy swamp.

Anjali was rescued from Dibyapuri area of Nawalpur, Chitwan National Park on April 5, 2021 during the rhino count when she was just one week old.

According to the data, there are no one-horned rhinos in Koshi Tappu. They are being transferred to Koshi Tappu for the first time.

Haribhadra Acharya, Acting Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department, said that a technical committee had carried out a study on keeping the rhinos in Koshi two years ago.

The committee had concluded that the Koshi Tappu would be an appropriate habitat for rhinos.