Protect rhinos

Eight rhinos have died inside Chitwan National Park (CNP) in the past two months of which, alarmingly, seven have died because of poaching. While six rhinos were allegedly killed by poachers, one baby calf lost its life following the killing of its mother. According to a 2008 census, there were 400 rhinos in CNP of which 42 have died so far. Frighteningly, out of the 42 rhinos, 25 allegedly died as a result of poaching. The figures clearly point toward the need for tighter vigilance within CNP.



The one-horned rhinos found within CNP are an endangered species with a total population of just about 2,500. Besides Nepal, these rhinos are just found in certain pockets of India with the southern neighbor’s Kaziranga National Park serving as a key reserve for this species. The one-horned rhino was on the brink of extinction in the 1970s with only about 600 remaining in Nepal and India. Thanks to sustained conservation efforts, the numbers have gone up to a few thousands but we are yet not in a position where we can sit back and marvel at what we have been able to do. There is still a lot of ground that needs to be covered.



Rhinos are hunted illegally because of the high demand of their horns, especially in China, which are used in traditional medicines for rheumatism, arthritis and fever. Science though has not found any evidence so far that it has curative powers. Further, rhino horns are also used as decorative material despite the fact that trade in rhino horns has been banned since 1980 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Trade of rhino hides and meat is also considered quite lucrative.



Clearly, the first thing that needs to be done to stop this business is to bust the traditional myths about the curative powers of rhino body parts. But that is easier said than done. And as long as there is a market for rhino horns and hides, there are going to be poachers because of the potential of quick and high returns. That implies that governments must invest lots of effort, time and money in foolproof vigilance that, at present, does not seem to be the case in our context.



Our establishment must remember that besides being legally bound to protect this animal, it also serves our tourism interests. A lot of tourists visit CNP to just see one-horned rhinos in the wild. Hence, it is imperative that we maintain a sizeable number of them so that the revenue from tourists keeps on flowing in. Perhaps, the debate on whether or not to permit resorts, which allegedly knowingly or unknowingly serve as bases for poachers, to operate within CNP also needs to be reopened. After all, we are sure that no one wants their children or grandchildren to read about these amazing animals only in history books.

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