Four greater one-horned rhinos have been successfully relocated to the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, increasing the population to eight in this region. This relocation exercise took place over two days, signaling a significant advancement in conservation efforts.
This initiative was orchestrated by the Uttar Pradesh forest department with support from the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India), senior veterinarians, and rhino specialists. Dr. H Rajamohan, the reserve’s field director, described the event as a ‘giant leap’ in bringing back rhinos to India’s Terai landscape after years of dedicated work.
The latest translocation included one male and three female rhinos aged between 15 and 25 years. Effective monitoring has ensured their successful adaptation to the grassland habitat. Dr. Dipankar Ghose of WWF-India noted the importance of a sustainable rhino population, which contributes to the health of the Terai Arc Landscape by maintaining grassland ecosystems.