Thank you for P Ghimire's 'The no-horned Asiatic rhinoceros' (#258) which succeeds in highlighting the grave plight of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in Chitwan. While it is indeed true that the current conflict has taken a toll on security in national parks like Chitwan, the onus of saving Nepal's rhinoceros does not lie solely with the Royal Nepali Army. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation strives to address the critical issue of poaching on-the-ground and on the national level with support from partners like UNDP, KMNTC, ITNC and WWF. Community-based anti-poaching operations have come into their own with the support of the government and organisations like WWF but they are not nearly enough to stop poaching.

The illegal trade in wildlife is a global problem driven by market forces of supply and demand. As conservation efforts strive to keep endangered species like the rhinoceros from extinction, there is immense pressure from buyers and users across the world from the Middle East to South East Asia and China. Nepal is not only a notorious transit route but also a supplier. In the current socio-political climate, what Shiba Raj Bhata says in the article is unfortunately on the mark: new poachers easily replace those who are arrested. The future of the greater one-horned rhinoceros lies in strengthening and introducing measures aimed at the end users in the global arena as it does to support ongoing rhino conservation efforts in Nepal.

Chandra P Gurung, PhD
Country Representative, WWF Nepal Program