22-Nov-09 11:00 AM CST

One-horned Rhino Bodyguards Deployed in Nepal Assisted by Zoological Society of London

By Victoria Picknell

Nepal - Nepal’s greater one-horned rhino population is on the road to recovery, following almost a decade of steep decline caused by poaching.

Conservationists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have joined forces with local communities to form a team of rhino bodyguards on elephant-back to protect the species’ last remaining strongholds in Bardia and Chitwan National Parks.

The new patrol guards, who are trained to recognise individual rhinos and adhere to strict scientific monitoring, are proving to be highly effective as not a single rhino from the Bardia population has been poached since the patrols began 18 months ago.

Bardia was initially sought as a safe-haven for a new population of rhinos translocated from Chitwan National Park, in central Nepal. However, heavy poaching quickly turned the park into a killing field and the rhino population plummeted to just 22 individuals.

Rogue members of the Nepalese army stationed to protect the rhino were eventually exposed as being responsible for killing the animals. This betrayal prompted a new collaborative approach between the army, conservationists and local people to secure the future of the greater one-horned rhino in Nepal’s grasslands.

Dr Richard Kock, ZSL conservationist says: “When we first arrived in Nepal, the barbed wire and machine gun mounts were still evident, and the losses of rhino from the last refuges in the Terai were horrific.”

He adds: “We have seen a steady change in the country; the slow and painful peace process is helping and our Darwin Initiative project has catalysed increasing commitment from Nepalis, restoring pride in their National Parks and recovering their dwindling wildlife. It has been a privilege to bring British skills and money to support this process.”

Invasive species, deforestation and settlement encroachment are some of the other threats facing Nepal’s greater one-horned rhinos. ZSL continues to work with the local communities and its other conservation partners in Nepal to address these problems and anti-poaching patrols are now being implemented in Chitwan, where encouraging results are already being seen.

· To mark the Nepal Nature Conservation Year 2009 and raise funds for the vital conservation work needed to safeguard this remarkable region and its fragile ecosystems, ZSL and the UK Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal are hosting a seminar and special evening on Tuesday 24 November 2009 at ZSL London Zoo. For further information on the Fragile Nepal event, please visit: http://www.zsl.org/nepal

ZSL collaborates with the following partners on its greater one-horned rhino project: Darwin Initiative, National Trust for Nature Conservation Nepal, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, CABI, Elephant Care International and Tufts University on Health, South African National Parks, Kenya Wildlife Service, IUCN African and Asian Rhino Specialist Group, NEPAL ARMY, Theatre for Africa, Earthbeat Nepal Theatre, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Kenya, Save the Environment Nepal, WWF Nepal, AWELY.

Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our key role is the conservation of animals and their habitats. The Society runs ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research at the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation overseas. For further information please visit www.zsl.org

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