Conservationists are worried about the possible migration of one-horned rhinos to Indian territory from Bardiya National Park (BNP), the largest national park in lowland Tarai covering an area of 968 square kilometres. It is suspected that around 20 rhinos entered the bordering Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary of India.

According to the authorities concerned, the rhinos of Bardiya National Park migrated across the border to India due to problems with drinking water, mainly in the Geruwa areas. Bijaya Raj Subedi, chief of the Division Forest Office in Bardiya, said that 20 to 22 rhinos were believed to have been in Indian territory recently. “The rhinos went towards India due to shortage of water on the Nepal side,” said Subedi. “Since the wildlife, including rhinos, do not stay in the same place forever, the migrated rhinos may return to Nepal again.”

The Geruwa area is the main habitat of rhinos, tigers, elephants and spotted deer, among other animals. The number of wildlife has decreased considerably in the area over the past few years due to shortage of water sources. A sharp decline in the water flow in Geruwa river, an offshoot of the Karnali River a few kilometres downstream from Chisapani, has forced wildlife in the western part of the national park to migrate to other places for drinking water mainly in the dry season.

The one-horned rhino, which is native to Nepal and India, is an endangered animal species. According to the national rhino census held in 2021, Nepal is home to 752 one-horned rhinos. The rhinos are found in four protected areas in the country—Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park, Shuklaphanta National Park and Parsa National Park. According to the census, Chitwan National Park alone hosts 694 rhinos while Bardiya National Park has 38, Shuklaphanta National Park has 17 and Parsa National Park has three.

Of the total 38 rhinos in Bardiya, three have died due to natural causes since the census.

There is a 24-km long Khata bio-corridor along the shared border of Bardiya National Park in Nepal and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India. Various wildlife including rhinos, tigers and elephants move across the border quite frequently. Local conservationists said that the Indian authorities tried their best to retain the migrated rhinos and other animals in their own land.

According to conservationists, two rhinos from Bardiya National Park had reached Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in 2010. The Indian authorities had constructed a muddy pond and managed drinking water to retain the migrated pachyderms.

“The rhinos migrate to Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary as water is gradually drying up in the Geruwa river,” said Ajit Tumbahamphe, Bardiya chief of the National Trust for Nature Conservation. “Rhinos may be extinct from Bardiya if the authorities do not take prompt action to manage habitat for them.”

It is quite difficult for the national park officials to monitor the possibly migrated rhinos as they do not have radio collars. As it sensed the cross border migration of the rhinos, the Bardiya National Park started monitoring rhinos in the area last week. When asked about the rhinos that entered the Indian area, the park officials refused to comment over the issue.

Conservationists urged the national park and other authorities concerned to manage habitat for rhinos in Bardiya National Park and buffer zone forests. “The rhinos migrate to India due to lack of water sources and proper habitats in Nepal,” said Ram Bahadur Shahi, a local conservationist and nature guide. “Noise pollution along the highway area also displaces wildlife.”

Thirteen rhinos—five males and eight females—had been brought to the Bardiya from Chitwan in 1986. As many as 70 more rhinos were shifted to Bardiya later at different times. The poaching of one-horned rhinos was unchecked during the decade-long armed insurgency (1996-2006). As many as 36 rhinos were killed during the insurgency while 24 others died due to natural causes. However, there has been zero poaching of rhinos in the Bardiya National Park and its surrounding areas over the past 15 years.