Rhinos return... and tigers have new neighbours!
Accurate at time of publication: 18 June 2026
Issue
The Indian Terai is a mosaic of grasslands, wetlands and forests, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Greater one-horned rhinos once roamed freely in the area, but years of hunting and poaching saw the species become extirpated (locally extinct) in parts of northern India by the end of the 19th Century.
Solution
In March 2026, four greater one-horned rhinos were released into Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, in a translocation effort led by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department with support from WWF-India, senior veterinarians and rhino experts, and field workers.
This brings the total number of free-ranging mature rhinos in Dudhwa to 8, after 2 similar operations took place over the past year. Excitingly, latest reports from the field reveal that the rhinos reintroduced last year are now breeding, with several calves spotted!
results
The reintroduction of free ranging rhinos, the fact that they are now breeding, is a giant leap forward for conservation.
Dr Dipankar Ghose, Senior Director, Biodiversity Conservation, WWF-India, said, “A viable population of free-ranging rhinos benefits the larger Terai Arc Landscape, which is one of the most productive landscapes in the country. Rhinos are one of the best indicators of grassland ecosystems. They are often called ecological engineers, as by continuous grazing, they prevent tall and unpalatable grasses from dominating.”
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (as the name suggests) is also home to a population of tigers.
WWF-India, together with the Forest Department and other experts, are closely monitoring the health of the rhinos, and how the region’s tigers behave in response to their new neighbours.
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