CHITWAN: Five one-horned rhinos, two male and three female, will be relocated to Bardiya National Park from Chitwan National Park coming week.

All necessary preparations have been made for the relocation of five pachyderms, said Ram Chandra Kandel, the chief conservation officer at the Chitwan National Park.

Two rhinos will be taken to the Mid-Western Nepal and released in the Bardiya National Park on March 2, while the remaining three will be relocated on March 6. The rhinos currently living in Kasara area of Chitwan will get new home in Babai Valley.

The relocation aims at maintaining the biodiversity of the rare species of rhinoceros, saving it from diseases and floods, increasing the number of productive adults and prevent in-breeding, according to Kandel.

It is estimated that the relocation will cost Rs 8.3 million.

As many as 30 elephants and human resources will be used for the task.

Kandel informed that 25 rhinos, 20 of them female, will be relocated to Bardiya from Chitwan in three years.

Records show that there are 29 rhinos in Bardiya on the bank of Karnali River, while five in Katariya Ghat of neighbouring India.

The last year's rhino census shows that Nepal is house for 645 rhinos.

From 1984 to 2003, as many as 82 rhinos were relocated from Chitwan to Bardiya, but only 29 have survived. On the other hand, there are eight rhinos in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, which had received five for relocation.