Excellent news from Nepal, where the government has reported a further increase in the country’s Greater one-horned rhino population!
The new figures show that the rhino population in Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscape has increased 21% in the past four years.
There are now 645 rhinos there, compared to the 2011 estimate of 534.
This means that Nepal’s rhino population now stands the highest they’ve been since the early 1950’s showing decades of conservation success for the species.
The country also reported another successful year of zero rhino poaching – this is the third time in five years they’ve achieved no poaching losses. The threat of rhino poaching in Asia remains higher than ever before with neighbouring India experiencing several recent rhino poaching incidents.
Nepal has introduced intensive protection measures for rhinos over recent years including increased anti-poaching and monitoring patrols, tougher penalties for poaching, a streamlined judicial system dealing with the offence and the use of the military.
Source: WWF News http://www.wwf.org.uk/wwf_articles.cfm?unewsid=7550
Photo credit Renaud Fulconis
having had the privilege of being in the presence of these beauties many times & a tattoo of an Indian rhino on my ankle, I am thrilled that the news is good for once. There is nothing more thrilling than being charged by a gray mass!