National Distribution

This species occurs in three locations: Bardia National Park, Chitwan National Park and Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve with occasional movement into Parsa Wildlife Reserve from adjoining areas of Chitwan.

 Distribution outside Nepal

India.

Main Threats

• Poaching for trade in body parts mainly horn.

• Habitat degradation due to invasive plant species including Mikania micrantha and Lantana camara (grassland and riverine forests), Chromolaena odorata (Sal forests), Eichhornia and Pistia stratiotes (lakes and river systems).

• Habitat Loss as a result of clearing for agriculture and livestock grazing and human encroachment.

• Human-wildife conflict.

Conservation Measures in Place

Terai Arc Landscape Strategy Plan (2004-2014).

National Greater One-horned Rhino Conservation and Management Strategy (2006-2011).

Law enforcement and constant monitoring of sub-populations. Research on the invasive species Mikania micrantha. In Bardia National Park, efforts are being made to secure the area beyond the Karnali floodplains so that potential translocations in the future will not be at risk from poaching or encroachment. In Shukla Phanta, efforts are being made to increase the capacity of reserve staff for scientific surveys so that a consistent monitoring system can be established.

Conservation Recommendations

i) Continue effective anti-poaching initiatives (informant networks, dedicated armed and trained anti-poaching units).

ii) Establish/continue regular intensive block monitoring system in all three rhino protected areas.

iii) Establish/continue integrated standardised monitoring and reporting system; capacity building of field staff through training in rhino monitoring using the IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group accredited training programme; setup and maintain population master files and rhino database system.

iv) Continue the use of standardised reports for informed decision making such deployment of patrols.

v) Set up a common Bardia-Katerniaghat monitoring system.

vi) Produce park population status reports and synthesise into a national / regional report for metapopulation management.

vii) Develop a rhino recovery plan for Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve.

viii) Translocate rhinos to Bardia National Park and Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve to create viable, growing populations.

ix) Develop and implement an effective management programme for invasive plant species particularly the primary invasive species Mikania micrantha. The management plan should incorporate several types of control: these need research to validate the approaches. The plan needs to include controls that can be used in the short to medium term in priority conservation areas.

x) Maintain floodplain habitat including ox-bow lakes, by preventing spread of woodland, safeguarding wetlands through appropriate water management, implementing rotational grassland patch burning with effective firebreaks and limiting the extent of grazing by domestic livestock.

xi) Enhance community engagement, education and awareness programmes.

xii) Implement an effective human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategy in the buffer zones of the rhino protected areas.

References

Internet and

Nowak 1999, Amin et al. 2006, Amin et al. 2009, Sectionov et al. 2007, DNPWC 2008, Jnawali et al. 2009, Kandel and Jhala 2008, IRF 2009.