Authorities in Dhangadi have arrested a man in possession of a rhino horn.

A 27-year-old man was arrested in Dhangadi as he tried to smuggle a rhino horn out of Nepal. The arrest of Gagan Lama of Kada-7, Bajhang, occurred at the Dhangadi Bus Park as Lama attempted to sneak out of the country with the rhino horn.

District Forest Officer Ramesh Chand and Geta Area Forest Office Chief Ambika Prasad Proudel led the team that arrested Lama.

Lama is currently being held at the District Forest Office, and forest officials are hopeful that the arrest will lead to more information about rhino horn trading networks operating in the area.

The greater one-horned rhino in Nepal

Nepal is home to approximately 435 greater one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros unicorns). This Asian rhino species was recently reclassified from Endangered to Vulnerable by the IUCN. Although the worldwide population is just 2,800, the numbers are steadily increasing from a low of 200 greater one-horned rhinos.

All five species of rhinos remain under threat, due to demand for rhino horn in China and Vietnam. The demand is fueled by cultural superstitions that attribute healing powers to rhino horn – despite the fact that scientific analysis has proven rhino horn has no medicinal effect on humans.

To learn more about rhino conservation in Nepal, check out Grassroots Rhino Conservation: Nepal’s New Generation is Leading the Way.

Source: The Himalayan Times

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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