The state forest department will conduct a census of the one-horned rhinos in two national parks of Bengal in February next year, after a gap of four years.

In Bengal, one-horned rhinos are found in the Gorumara National Park of Jalpaiguri and the Jaldapara National Park of Alipurduar. Among these two, Jaldapara is the larger habitat of the rhinos.

“The last census was conducted in 2021. At that time, 292 rhinos were found in Jaldapara and 55 in Gorumara. This time, we expect the number to increase in both habitats,” said Bhaskar J.V., the chief conservator of forests (wildlife, north).

Sources in the department said that initially the rhino count was planned for January. “But we decided to conduct the census in February to confirm that each rhino in both these national parks is sighted and counted. Thick fog covers vast stretches of forests during January and those conducting the census would have faced the problem of low visibility,” said a senior forester.

Over the past few years, foresters have expressed concern because of the deaths of rhinos due to infighting. The skewing sex ratio of the animal species is the reason for such infighting, they said.

“Ideally, there should be three female rhinos for one male rhino. But both in Jaldapara and Gorumara the ratio is not appropriate. Thus, in the past two to three years, at least five rhinos have died in Jaldapara,” said a forest official.

The census, sources said, would be conducted in the direct sighting method through the transect line. Cameras and GPS devices will be used for the exercise. Along with foresters, volunteers from social organisations working on the conservation of nature and wildlife will also join the census.

The department, sources said, has also taken up the task of developing land at Patlakhawa, Cooch Behar, as the third rhino habitat in Bengal.

“Work like developing the grassland has been carried out. Rhinos, however, are yet to be released in the location,” the official added.