Nepal to gift China two pairs of rhinos

Nepal government decided on Sunday to gift two pairs of one-horned rhinos to China.

Updated on: Jul 10, 2016, 22:12:20 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Nepal government decided on Sunday to gift two pairs of one-horned rhinos to China.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s official residence.

China had requested Nepal to gift two pairs of rhinos during forest minister Agni Sapkota’s visit to the northern neighbour in January this year. The request was reiterated during Oli’s China trip in March.

During Sapkota’s trip, Beijing had agreed to provide financial and technical assistance to set up a forensic sciences laboratory near Kathmandu and also develop green economic corridors at two border points.

Nepal has 645 one-horned rhinos in the wild and the two pairs to be gifted to China will be selected from among the 605 in Chitwan National Park, which has the highest concentration of the species.

Nepal has gifted rhinos in the past to Bangladesh, Pakistan, USA, China and Germany. The last instance was in 2006, when crown prince Paras Shah gifted a pair to Austria.

Law and justice minister Agni Prasad Kharel told Kantipur daily that the gift of rhinos would further strengthen the friendly bilateral relations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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