BNP rhinos cross border to India in dearth of water

By Our Correspondent,Babai (Bardiya), Dec. 15: The movement of single-horned rhinos towards India from the Bardiya National Park (BNP) in Bardiya district has not ceased after the scarcity of watersurfaced. 

The rhinos have started crossing into India through the Khata Corridor, which is connected to the BNP. It has been confirmed by the Indian Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian region along the Nepal-India border that there are currently 20 rhinos in the Kartaniya Wildlife Sanctuary, while the number of rhinos in the BNP is decreasing.

Due to changes in the flow of the Karnali River in recent years, the water level in the Geruwa Bend of the Karnali River, which flows towards the BNP, has decreased, while there is also a noticeable water shortage within the park. As a result, the rhinos, which prefer to stay in water, have started moving towards India, according to local people. 

Saroj Mani Poudel, information officer of the BNP, confirmed that the Indian Wildlife Sanctuary at Kartaniya has reported 20 rhinos, and it is suspected that these rhinos may have reached there from Nepal. 

In 2019, during a rhino census, 38 rhinos were counted in the BNP, but now only 18 are visible in the park. Despite multiple attempts by the border security personnel to turn the rhinos back, the movement towards India has not stopped.

Bishwo Babu Shrestha, acting chief of the Bardiya National Park, stated that the change in the flow of the Karnali River has been causing a water shortage for wildlife. He mentioned that the water scarcity has led wildlife to start moving out of the forest. 

In the past, tourists used to visit Bardiya district just to see the single-horned rhinos, and the animals could even be spotted in the community forest areas. However, recently it has become difficult to even spot a rhino.

As the rhinos from Nepal’s forests have started to move towards India through the Khata Corridor, which lies along the Nepal-India border, there is growing concern among conservationists that rhinos might become endangered. 

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, president of the Bardiya Tourism Forum, said that if the rhinos continue moving towards India, there may come a time when searching for rhinos in the wild becomes necessary.