Vol. 17 No. 11 (2002): November
Paper

Historical records of the Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in northern India and Pakistan

Published 2002-11-21

Abstract

There are only very few reports of Rhinoceroses from the northern states of India.  The Indian Rhinoceros lived along the River Ganges from Delhi in the west until 1650, to Mirzapur, Patna and Rajmahal in the east until 1850.  The animal also existed in the foothills of hte himalaya just south of hte Nepal border, and incidentally stragglers from nepal are still sighted there.  The rhinoceros was noted in the hills of Uttar Pradesh, at Pilibhit up to the 1970s, at Kotdwaranear Hardwar in 1789, and further west in the 14th century.  The four records from the Indus Valley of Pakistan and across the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan, dating up to the 16th centuary are summarized.