By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park in Bihar, commonly known as Patna Zoo, has gained international recognition for its success in rhino conservation. According to the Central Zoo Authority, Patna Zoo is a key centre for rhino conservation, and a breeding programme has been actively running there. It is the first rhino breeding centre in the country, with the majority of the rhinos bred in Patna.
After the San Diego Zoo in the USA, Patna Zoo boasts the largest population of rhinos worldwide, with 13 rhinos compared to San Diego’s 15. The Bihar government has set an ambitious target to increase this number to 22 in the coming years.
The success of Patna Zoo’s rhino conservation programme has garnered attention from around the world. The management of the San Diego Zoo has expressed interest in acquiring rhinos from Patna Zoo and has proposed an exchange deal involving three giraffes and two female rhinos in return for a male rhino. Patna Zoo currently has eight male and five female rhinos.
The origins of rhino conservation at Patna Zoo date back to 28 May 1979, when a pair of rhinos – a two-year-old male and a five-year-old female – were brought to the park. A third rhino arrived on 28 March 1982, and since then, the number has steadily grown. Despite sending over 50 rhinos to other zoos both in India and abroad through exchange programmes, Patna Zoo remains the world leader in rhino conservation. The exchange programme allows the zoo to receive other animals in return for rhinos.
Patna Zoo’s director, Dr Satyajit Kumar, explained that the park provides an ideal environment for rhinos, contributing to a high reproduction rate and low mortality. This has led to a continuous increase in the rhino population.
In addition to its prominence within India, Patna Zoo has sent rhinos abroad. Last year, a female rhino named Hattali died of old age, yet the zoo still maintains the highest rhino population in India and the second largest globally. With only two fewer rhinos than the San Diego Zoo, Patna Zoo is on track to become the world’s leading centre for rhinos.
The Central Zoo Authority of India has recognised the significance of Patna Zoo in rhino conservation, establishing the country’s first rhino breeding centre there in August 2020. Construction of the centre began in 2008, and it spans 3.5 acres with a capacity to house 25 rhinos. Built at a cost of Rs 538.74 lakh, the centre aims to increase the rhino population from 13 to 22 within five years.
