KATHMANDU, March 11: A team of wildlife experts and conservation officers on Tuesday successfully collared a one-horned rhino in Shiva community forest area of Khata Corridor that connects Nepal's Bardia National Park with India's Katernaighat Wildlife Sanctuary.
This is the second rhino collard in a row as the team has aimed to complete the collaring task on two more rhinos by the end of April.
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"The record will also be useful in detecting their preferred area of habitation and the reason behind their choice," he added.
The date received from the satellite collar will provide key insights to habitat use and movement patterns of rhinos in the collider. The information received will help optimize the land-use pattern, land-cover configuration and habitat management within the corridor for wildlife and humans.
As per the previous report recorded from the rhino tagged earlier, its movement was found lingering between both Nepal and Indian side.
“The overall task of tracking the collared rhinos will be monitored from Kathmandu ensuring their safety and protection as well. If we can study their movement, we can certainly apply protective measures and save them from the poachers' hands," said Subedi.
Meanwhile, ecologist at DNPWC, Maheshwar Dhakal suggested embracing more of such technical assistance along with lasting research works devoted to conserve wild animals.
“Monitoring one or two rhinos will not provide the ultimate solution for their protection but we need to do in-depth research works, the result of which will be more valuable and precise,” said Dhakal.
The whole project of collaring the rhinos is a joint effort of the Department of Nature and Wildlife Conservation, World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), Nepal, National Trust for Nature's Conservation and local communities.
Nepal has already celebrated two year of zero poaching. With an estimated 534 rhinos in the Tarai Arc Landscape, Bardia National Park is a common home for 25 rhinos. These thick skinned mammals are always treat to poachers' hunting and traps for their horns.
