5 rhinos go missing from Dudhwa

[Mrudul Godbole]

5 rhinos go missing from Dudhwa
By Neha Shukla, TNN | Jan 5, 2013, 03.21 AM IST

LUCKNOW: At least five rhinos have gone missing from the Dudhwa national park. Though the forest department officers are tightlipped about the incident, wildlife enthusiasts have voiced concern over their disappearance.

"Frantic search is on for the rhinos, missing for the past four days. The area has been cordoned off," said a Dudhwa official.

When TOI tried to contact Dudhwa director Shailesh Prasad, he hung up. His deputy, too, could not be reached for a comment on the development all through the day.

While Dudhwa officials went incommunicado, local residents informed TOI that a few days back a rhino had ventured out of the cramped range of 25 sq km, where 29 of them have been put together. Officials, however, hunted it back to its moorings.

But, what has happened of the five others who have gone stray is not known. Dudhwa is prone to poaching due to its proximity to Indo-Nepal border. Whether the rhinos have fallen prey to hunters is also not known.

From regional extinction to being overpopulated within 25 square kilometre confinement in Dudhwa National Park, rhino has registered a comeback of sorts on the wildlife map of Uttar Pradesh. From none till 1984 to 29 now, their number is fairly good in the state.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Very disturbing news. I remember the contribution of Smt. Indira Gandhi in bringing Rhinos from Chitwan N.P, Nepal and arranging transfer from Kaziranga N.P (total: 5 females and 2 males), an exciting innovation indeed. Tiger has intruded into and killed Rhino inside the enclosure also,a natural phenomenon. Wish the missing Rhinos are safe from poachers.
Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Murugan Anantharaman]

Its very unfortunate to know that the Rhinos are missing. Endangered species out of India are radio collared to protect their safety. Hope the Rhinos are traced soon 'alive' and safe.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I am all for freedom of the Rhinos. These poor rhinos have been translocated first from Kaziranga and then from Royal Chitwan national park and had been placed inside the enclosure to acclimatise. They have bred successfully and their population have increased. Unfortunately, it is now close to three decades and they are still in captivity. The reason given is that the forest department is trying to protect them from poachers. What an abhorrent idea!

Just because the forest department is unable to patrol effectively and curb poaching, so the freedom of a wild species has to be curbed. If the forest department officials are unable to curb poaching then they should be fired and capable officers should be brought in.

The forest department has to find out where the missing rhinos are and whether they have been poached. They have to catch the poachers and not drive back the rhinos to the enclosure.