Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Van Vihar National Park has moved a proposal to bring a pair of rhinos from Assam, but clearance is yet to be received. Officials of Van Vihar are keeping their fingers crossed. If granted, Van Vihar could become the first national park to house rhinos.
Van Vihar Director Vijay Kumar said the proposal is in its initial phase and clearance is awaited. The proposal has been submitted to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
Sources said the rhino would be brought under an animal exchange programme. "We have mentioned some wild animals which could be exchanged instead of the rhino pair. The list includes tiger, leopard and a few other species," said an officer of Van Vihar.
Van Vihar’s cinereous vulture still recovering in Pakistan
A female cinereous vulture tagged by Van Vihar is still recuperating in Pakistan and is not yet fit enough to resume its journey towards Asian countries. An officer of Van Vihar said that two days ago, Pakistan forest authorities informed that the vulture has not fully recovered.
The bird, fitted with GPS GSM telemetry, was released in a jungle area near Halali dam on March 30. After a few days, it flew to Pakistan. On April 7, it was caught in a severe hailstorm in the Khanewal and Multan areas of Pakistan and sustained injuries.
When its GPS device showed no movement, Van Vihar, through WWF India, contacted WWF Pakistan. The injured vulture was subsequently rescued by Pakistani forest officials.
