Lakhimpur Kheri, Sept. 22 -- Once extinct in Terai forests due to hunting and some other factors in the pre-independence era, the mighty one-horned rhinos have made an impressive comeback to their ancestral home to the forests of Dudhwa, the rhino rehabilitation programme introduced in 1984.

With adaptable habitat conditions and best conservation efforts by Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) authorities, their population has now grown to 53 from the initial five animals brought from the forests of Assam. Today, there are 17 male, 25 female and 11 sub-adults, as per latest annual head-count in June 2026, marking a significant milestone in Dudhwa's rhino conservation.

The number would have been much more if some rhinos had not fallen prey to tige...