Nepal will provide two one-horned rhinoceros as gifts to China upon the request from the Chinese side.

Forest Minister Agni Sapkota said Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed to forward the process to gift a pair of mammals to the northern neighbours.

“PM Oli has agreed to gift a pair of rhinos to China. The gifts will be made after a cabinet decision,” he said. Chinese Forest Minister Zhang Jianlong and other Chinese officials had requested the Nepali side for the rhinos during Forest Minister Sapkota’s visit to China.

“I had forwarded their request to the PM. The process to gift the rhinos will soon go ahead,” Sapkota said. Sapkota said preparations were being made to gift the mammals during an impending visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal.

In exchange for the rhinos, the Chinese side had agreed to provide financial and technical assistant for the proposed Forensic Science Laboratory in Bhaktapur, assist in establishing an international center on community forests, Minister Sapkoa said.

As per a recent census, there are 645 rhinos in Nepal. Of the total, 605 of them are in Chitwan National Park. The rhinos to be gifted to China will also be selected from the park.