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Chitwan National Park bids farewell to Bhadra and Rupasi



Bhadra and Rupasi

KATHMANDU, July 10: Chitwan National Park bid farewell to Bhadra and Rupasi, two of the four rhinos, to Chinese government. Two others will be sent to China next year as promised by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli two years ago.

CPN bid farewell to Bhadra and Rupasi amid a special function on Tuesday.

The two rhinos will be travel via two trucks Na 5 Kha 7996 and Na 7 Kha 1270, according to Chitwan National Park. The rhinos are being transported separately.

They will be kept at Central Zoo in Kathmandu before sending to China. Five conservation officers will accompany the two rhinos to Kathmandu and later to China. The team will consist of veterinarian, technician and three wildlife caretakers.

The Nepal government has already gifted 26 rhinos to different foreign countries so far.

According to Ved Prasad Dhakal, the chief conservation officer at CNP, six rhinos have been given to America, four to India and two each to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, Germany, Britain and Austria.

The CNP record shows that four rhinos were sent to Dudhuwa of India for the first time in 1985. Lately, a pair of rhinos was gifted to Austria in 2006.

Elephants were brought from India, Myanmar and Thailand in exchange of rhinoceros before this.

Former chief conservation officer Ramprit Yadav said that 16 elephants have been brought so far from India alone in exchange of rhinos.

According to him, Nepal has been gifting rhinos to various countries for establishing cordial relations with these nations. He believes this also helps in increasing the rhino population.

Similarly, the gharial and magar crocodiles have been gifted to various countries. Yadav said that they are in effort to bring giant panda to Nepal in exchange of the rhinos.

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