Rhino rehabilitation project has been pioneered in India in Dudhwa national park.The rhino population in Dudhwa in the reserved area of the park , about 28 sq.km encircled by electrical fence has gone up to 27 rhinos. In the year 1985 four females from Shukla Phanta National park in Nepalwere brought to Dudhwa in exchange for 16 Elephants.Before this in 1984 5 Rhinos including 3 females and 2 males were brought in from Kaziranga national park,Assam under the Rhino rehabilitation project. Now there are only 3 to 4 Rhinos left in the Shukla Phanta National Park in Nepal.
The project in Dudhwa is very successful as compared to the other rehabilitation projects.At present in Dudhwa wildlife officials are not very keen on a very large population of Rhinos,as majority of rhinos in Dudhwa have been sired by a single male who has been named Baankey and there is a danger of in breeding which might effect the immune system of the off springs as 'apart from cattle inbreeding ,in breeding science for other animals has not developed' as per Principal Conservator of forests[wildlife division] Shri B.K.Patnaik. Overall my experience of visiting the project has been very satisfying and we look forward to the day when Rhinos will be roaming freely in Dudhwa National Park.
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