One Horned Rhino >> Habitat

Habitat is defined in the models according to physical structures; the aerial extent of vegetation communities and the arrangement of these communities on the landscape. Several features within an approach to extensive habitat inventory and evaluation are desirable. Habitat models are based on the relationship between animal and environment. The habitat modeling assumes that the amount of habitat is related to the potential of the land to support individuals or populations of wildlife and that habitat designed as high quality are more suitable than those assigned lower quality ranking. Connection between wildlife and habitat need four basic habitat requirements: food, water, space and cover or shelter.

All the species of rhinoceros are true herbivores. Rhinos prefer to reside in alluvial flood plain vegetation of sub-tropical climate where water and green grasses are available all year round. It refers the areas like green grass land, alluvial riverine forest, sub tropical climate, swampy, marshy and waterhole area for wallowing, hardwood & shrub land of Terai landscape to live. And also found in the Buffer zone Community Forests.

Rhinos occur in highest densities along the flood plain grassland and riverine forests bordering the Rapti, Narayani, Reu and Dhungre rivers suggesting floodplain grassland as the most critical habitat dominated by 4-6m tall Saccharum Spontaneum. They prefer swampy, marshy and waterhole for biodiversity. Their phylogeny, ecology and nutritional energetic have evolved around these grassland ecosystems. The river Karnali, Babai's Valley with different types of grasses, including the rhinos preferable elephant grass (Saccharum spontaneum) also are the key habitat of rhinos.

Inundation by regular flooding of the alluvial plains along major rivers creates favorable condition for quick appearance of sprouts and germination to maintain the dominance of Saccharum spontaneum. Therefore, the monsoon flood is very critical for maintaining rhino habitat. Oxbow lakes and other open water bodies are also very critical for rhino. Rhino spends about 8 hours/day in wallows or streams during the period of high humidity (August-September) but they spend at least an hour/day wallowing in December and January.