KATHMANDU: A total of 645 one-horned rhinos exist in Nepal, according to the record maintained by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).

Chitwan National Park (CWC) is the main habitat of one-horned rhinos numbering to 605 rhinos.

Similarly, Bardia National Park has 29, Suklaphanta National Park has eight while Parsa National Park has three rhinos in Nepal. With the current success in rhino conservation, conservationists are hopeful of recovering the rhino population to a historic level.

According to the DNPWC, the number of rhinos is growing by 5% per year.

CWC is now saturated with rhinos. Those trans-located to Suklaphant and Bardiya National Park are still low in number for several reasons. Infant mortality and fighting to the death in terms of courting are some of the reasons responsible for the low rhino population.

With the current success in rhino conservation, conservationists are hopeful of recovering the rhino population to a historic level.

So far, Nepal has donated 28 rhinos including 2 pairs of rhinos to China in 2018.

Despite Nepal making headway in the fight against rhino poaching and marking zero poaching years, five times since 2011, authorities have witnessed a major setback in conservation efforts of late.

As many as 25 one-horned rhinos have died according to the report unveiled by DNPWE in the year 2017/2018.

During the year, only one was killed by a poacher while the others died of natural reasons.

In Nepal, Rhinos are mainly poached for their horns believed to have medicinal properties for traditional medicine.

Horns are also used as trophies and decorations to display social status. In Nepal, rhinos had hugely declined from 1000 to 100 during the 1950s due to habitat destruction and heavy poaching.

The number which was gradually recovering to 612 at one time in the past went down to 400 again due to poaching and a decade long Maoist insurgency (1990-2006).