Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region

Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros

The Indian rhinoceros, also known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros, is rated as endangered, but Eric Dinerstein, in his book The Return of the Unicorns: The Natural History and Conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003), details the conservation strategy that has been used to preserve this species in the Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

The greater one-horned rhinoceros can weigh over 2000 pounds, with a length of about 10 feet, and a height of 5.5 feet. It has grey-brown leathery skin that hangs in folds over its body. Wart-like bumps cover the upper legs and shoulders of this animal. Males are significantly larger than females. As its name implies, the greater one-horned rhinoceros has a single horn which protrudes from its forehead. It is formed from keratin, the same substance that comprises human fingernails. Fully developed, this horn can reach a length of 60 centimeters. The horn is blunt, and may begin to fray as the animal ages.

This animal lives in the grasslands that line the lakes and rivers of Nepal. These grasslands can reach heights of twenty-six feet or more, effectively hiding most animals that eat these grasses. A vegetarian, the greater on-horned rhinoceros is considered a seed disperser, because it does not digest the seeds it eats. It can take up to three days to digest a meal, so the seeds may be transported a significant distance from where they were eaten. Rhinos use a common dung heap, making them an easy target for poachers. When not grazing, rhinoceros spend hours wallowing in mud. The mud protects the skin of the rhinoceros, helping to discourage flies from biting.

After a gestation period of about 16 months, the female rhinoceros gives birth to a single calf. Females have their first calf when they are about six years old. Calves remain with their mothers for several years. Females travel with their young, but the males are solitary. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of nine.

Hunters prize the one-horned rhino for its horn, which is valued in Asian folk medicine. Other threats include the degradation of grazing land by domestic animals in protected areas, and the unintentional introduction of exotic plants in Assam and West Bengal. These plants, the Mikania scandens and Eichhornia crassipes, smother the native grasses, preventing their growth, but themselves are unpalatable to rhinoceros. Very little habitat remains, and poachers value the animals for their horns, which are used in traditional Asian medicine.

Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region

Summer 2004