Lucknow, Sep 16 (Inditop.com) Encouraged by a substantial increase in the state’s rhino population, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to carve out a new Rhino reserve in the Dudhwa National Park along the Indo-Nepal border.
The 27-sq-km electrically fenced area earmarked for rhino rehabilitation in the 1,550-sq-km Dudhwa National Park will soon have a parallel rhino area in another part of the sanctuary.
“Instead of expanding the existing area, we are going for a new locale to beat the problem of inbreeding that was bound to eventually arise under the prevailing circumstances,” Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Wildlife Conservator B.K. Patnaik told IANS.
The rhino reserve was created in Dudhwa in 1984 as a part of the state government’s bid to bring the rhino back to its original home in Dudhwa, from where the animal had migrated to Nepal.
“What began with a pair of rhino from the famous Kaziranga National Park in Assam 25 years ago has now grown into a rich reserve with the rhino population having swelled to 29,” said Patnaik.
“The Wildlife Institute of India has been entrusted with the task of drawing a blue-print of the proposed new reserve, away from the existing locale.”
Experts propose to promote the new reserve with a mix of rhinos from Kaziranga, Nepal and the existing progeny in Dudhwa, which comprises seven males, 15 females and 7 calves at present.
Patnaik is also hopeful of getting support for the project from the union environment ministry.
