Rampant poaching of one-horned rhinos inside Bardiya National Park (BNP) has put to risk the survival these endangered species.
According to BNP officials, of the ten rhinos that died in the past 10 months period, seven were killed by poachers. The rhino census of last year had put the number of rhinos inside the park at 31. This number has drastically gone down due to the rise in the poaching of these animals.
"There are only around 20 rhinos inside the park at present," said Fadindra Kharel, chief conservation officer of the park.
During the period between 1986 and 2002, the government had shifted 83 rhinos from Chitwan National Park to BNP in a bid to save the one-horned rhinos from extinction. Since the security posts inside the BNP were shifted elsewhere during the state of emergency, all 83 rhinos were hunted down by poachers in the total absence of security personnel inside the park.
"All 83 rhinos at Babai valley and Karnali riverside of the BNP were killed," Kharel said.
Presently, there are 14 security posts inside BNP to ensure the safety of the animals inside the park. There is an urgent need to sthregnthen the park security system and enforcing stringent action to deal with the poachers in order to conserve the endangered one-horned rhino inside BNP.
Few weeks ago, on April 26, one serving Nepal Army (NA) soldier and three NA deserters were arrested in connection with the killing of a rhino inside BNP. The arrested are--Jai Bahadur Shahi, Binod Sah, Nepalu Tharu and Om Prakash Bashuwal.
According to BNP officials, of the ten rhinos that died in the past 10 months period, seven were killed by poachers. The rhino census of last year had put the number of rhinos inside the park at 31. This number has drastically gone down due to the rise in the poaching of these animals.
"There are only around 20 rhinos inside the park at present," said Fadindra Kharel, chief conservation officer of the park.
During the period between 1986 and 2002, the government had shifted 83 rhinos from Chitwan National Park to BNP in a bid to save the one-horned rhinos from extinction. Since the security posts inside the BNP were shifted elsewhere during the state of emergency, all 83 rhinos were hunted down by poachers in the total absence of security personnel inside the park.
"All 83 rhinos at Babai valley and Karnali riverside of the BNP were killed," Kharel said.
Presently, there are 14 security posts inside BNP to ensure the safety of the animals inside the park. There is an urgent need to sthregnthen the park security system and enforcing stringent action to deal with the poachers in order to conserve the endangered one-horned rhino inside BNP.
Few weeks ago, on April 26, one serving Nepal Army (NA) soldier and three NA deserters were arrested in connection with the killing of a rhino inside BNP. The arrested are--Jai Bahadur Shahi, Binod Sah, Nepalu Tharu and Om Prakash Bashuwal.
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