New Delhi: Two greater one-horned rhinoceros were released into the wild at the Dudhwa tiger reserve in Terai region of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, reported Deccan Herald. With these additions, there are five such pachyderms now roaming in the wild after more than 150 years.

The latest translocation is part of the Uttar Pradesh government’s efforts to expand the rhino population within Dudhwa National Park. Once upon a time, the Terai region, which is transboundary with Nepal, was home to hundreds of Indian rhinos but the last one was wiped out in 1867.

The plan to reintroduce rhinos in the region began 1984. However, for 40 years, the animals were kept inside an enclosure within the national park.

“After decades of hard work, the efforts to bring back rhinos to India’s Terai landscape have finally begun to bear fruit,” Anuradha Vemuri, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, told the newspaper.

According to a report by The Times of India, in November 2024, the Uttar Pradesh forest department had released one male and two females into the wild. However, the male rhino had returned to the enclosure within days for reasons unknown.

Today, two more greater one-horned rhinos – a male and a female – were released into the free range.

The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve currently houses 46 one-horned rhinos in two enclosures – one spanning 27 square kilometres and the other 14 sq km. 

The growing rhino population in Dudhwa National Park benefits the Terai region in India, which is known as the country’s “food basket” due to its robust agricultural production. According to the World Wildlife Fund, a healthy population of rhinos keeps the savanna grasses trimmed, clearing the path for smaller mammals in the region. Their dung further enriches the soil and helps plants, birds, insects and fish also thrive in the region.

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