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Nepal: the comeback of the rhino
Nepal: the comeback of the rhino – (France 2)
In the forests of Nepal, after a protection program, endangered rhinos are back. They sometimes even invade urban areas.
Nepal’s rhinos have made an almost unexpected comeback. The country has become a global model for safeguarding this endangered species. In the 1960s, there were less than a hundred rhinos left in Nepal. During the last census in 2021, there were 752, 100 more in five years. An increase which today makes cohabitation between man and animal problematic.
The rhino has become a national emblem
To understand this phenomenon, you have to go to the foot of the Himalayas, in Chitwan National Park. At the time, they were poached for their horns which could sell for thousands of euros. Nepal has therefore decided, for several years, to mobilize hundreds of soldiers, on foot, on bicycles or on elephants, but also drones to patrol the area and fight against poachers.
The rhino population has increased so much that their habitat has become too small. So, they regularly walk through the streets of villages, and can charge the local population. The animal has nevertheless become one of the emblems of Nepal, and the country hopes to increase its number of tourists.
