Page 33 - Cornice_Grade 7

Rhino: A Biological Treasure

The Great One Horned and its Whereabouts

Out of the 5 species of ‘Rhino’, Nepal is lucky to have one of the species. ‘The
Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros”. These animals are found in North India, North-East
India, and the Terai region of Nepal. The Rhinos are 5.75-6.5 feet in height and have a
length of 10-12.5 feet. They weigh 4000-6000 pounds which are the largest species of
Rhinos found anywhere on the planet.

The greater one horned rhinos were spread out throughout the northern region
of the Indian Subcontinent. The species were hunted as a sport and for their skin. They
were also hunted down because they were considered agricultural pests.

Steps taken by the government to preserve rhino

The species were very close to extinction with only 200 specimens remaining
at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to dozens of conservation projects, the pop-
ulation has now increased to about 3,700 specimens. Nepal has 752 of them as of 2021
which has increased by about 16% from 2015. This is a positive step for the biodiversity
of Nepal.

However, rhinos are still endangered which is due to poaching and the destruc-
tion of habitat. The Nepalese government has taken steps to save the rhinos with some
of the strictest laws against poaching in south-Asia. If found guilty a person must stay
in prison for over 15 years and pay a fine of rs. 1,000,000.

I feel that the Nepal government is doing a great job saving one of Nepal’s bio-
logical treasures, this way the nation will soon be flourishing of these animals.

- Raahil Baid