A new plan to save the one-horned Asian rhino in Nepal is being undertaken by Zoological Society of London (ZSL), National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and Nepalese Government.

The recent changes in the political situation in Nepal, from political autocracy and Maoist rebellion to representative government, has resulted in a situation where ZSL and other organisations can work with the new Nepalese government to address threats to wildlife and to rhino in particular.

Funded with a Darwin Initiative grant from the UK Government, the new plan will involve:

• Anti-poaching and surveying work by specially trained rangers on elephant-back
• Restructuring of the current reserves to ensure more effective protection of the rhino populations, including assessing and managing invasive species in the reserves to improve the environment for all threatened species
• Working in the local communities surrounding the three reserves to encourage active conservation and discourage poaching
• Assessing the current populations to determine the most effective way of ensuring the most viable and successful populations

The rhinos of Nepal are Greater one-horned Asian rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis), which are currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The large decline in rhino numbers in Nepal in recent years is a result of poaching, which increased significantly in the unstable political climate.

Source: ZSL