A male rhino to be gifted to China has been captured in Chitwan National Park (CNP) after two days of extensive search.  

The CNP officials have succeeded in capturing the rhino from Devital area of the park, according to CNP Chief Conservation Officer Bed Kumar Dhakal.

According to Dhakal, the captured rhino is two years old.

A strong 70- member team including wildlife experts, park officials, veterinarian, rangers, technicians from National Trust for Nature Conservation as well as four elephants had been on a lookout for a suitable rhino in the last few days.

China had requested Nepal to gift two pairs of one-horned rhinos during the then forest minister Agni Sapkota’s visit to China in January 2016.  Following the request, which had resurfaced during PM KP Sharma Oli visit to the northern neighbour in the same year, the government, in July 2016, had decided to gift two-pairs of rhinos.

The government has aimed to send one-pair of rhinos – one male and female – in this ongoing fiscal year whereas another pair will be sent in the next fiscal year, said Dhakal.

The CNP has already finished construction of two different types of boma before translocating these one-horned rhinos.

The captured rhinos will be kept and fed inside the boma under inspection for months before they are sent to China.

In the last instance of gifting rhino to other countries, the then crown prince Paras Shah had gifted a pair to Austria in 2006.