An adult male rhinoceros limped out of Gorumara National Park today, probably muscled out of a habitat where a skewed sex ratio has intensified competition between males.
“Incidents of rhino migration occur mostly after an internal strife. Male rhinos fight over the females and the loser leaves the area for some days, as happened today. But in most cases, they return to the old habitat to rejoin the group,” the forest officer added. The rhino that crossed the toll collection gate of the national park this morning and headed towards Bhutan did not have any visible marks of injury, but forest workers posted in the area said it was walking with a limp.
It was later spotted near Hillajhora, a stream flowing by the side of Hilla Tea Estate located close to Chapramari forest and no less than 10km from Gorumara. “For a rhino, there is no difference between Gorumara and Chapramari, so long as it gets forest cover,”
Experts said the skewed sex ratio of the pachyderms in the 76sqkm Gorumara was the main reason behind rising intra-herd conflicts. “The ideal sex ratio is 2:1, that is, two females for each male. But in Gorumara, it is 1:1, which is leading to such conflicts followed by migration,” said Animesh Bose, programme coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, a Siliguri-based NGO. Foresters said according to a census conducted in 2004, there were 27 rhinos at Gorumara, 14 females and 13 males. “Three-four cubs born afterwards have added to the population, but we are yet to determine their sex,” the divisional forest officer said.