Chitwan, July 27
The Chitwan National Park of Nepal has given names to two one-horned rhinoceros–one male and one female–that Nepal is gifting China within next month.
Assistant Conservation Officer and Information Officer at the Park, Narendra Aryal, says the male has been named Solti whereas the female Mitini. Both words mean special friends in Nepali.
Around two weeks ago, Nepal had gifted two other rhinos–Bhadra and Rupasi–to the northern neighbour. Nepal had agreed to gift four rhinos to China around two years ago.
Aryal says the date to bid farewell to Solti and Mitini has not been fixed, but it will be within next one month.
It has been learned that the Park did not send all four rhinoceros together as the Park’s internal rule forbids sending out more than two animals in a fiscal year. Now, the new fiscal year has begun, hence the two will leave by August third week, according to Aryal.
So far Nepal has gifted 26 rhinoceros to various countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Bangladesh, Japan, Austria, Thailand, Burma and Pakistan.
As per a recent census, there are 645 one-horned rhinos in Nepal. Of them, 605 are in Chitwan.
