Lakhimpur Kheri, June 27 -- The annual exercise to estimate the population of one-horned rhinos in the rhino rehabilitation areas of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) began on Thursday and is expected to conclude on Saturday. DTR has two Rhino Rehabilitation Areas (RRAs) - RRA-1 in the South Sonaripur range and RRA-2 in the Belrayan range. The annual census is conducted to monitor the rhino population, assess its growth, maintain records of gender ratio and health, and track other ecological parameters. DTR field director H. Rajamohan said on Friday that three teams comprising forest officials, biologists and field staff have been deployed for the exercise. "The teams will patrol the entire rhino habitat and conduct a head count through direct visual sightings while recording the location, GPS coordinates and identity of each rhino," he said. Wildlife experts said individual rhinos can be identified by their distinct physical characteristics, enabling accurate enumeration. According to official data, last year's census recorded 51 one-horned rhinos, including 15 males, 24 females, six sub-adults and six calves. Of these, eight rhinos were released into the open forest last year under an ambitious programme aimed at gradually moving them out of the fenced rehabilitation areas. The animals were fitted with radio collars to enable round-the-clock monitoring of their movements. Officials said the rhinos have adapted well to the wild, with some giving birth to calves in the open forest. Project Rhino at Dudhwa is regarded as one of the world's successful wildlife reintroduction programmes. The initiative restored one-horned rhinos to the Terai landscape more than a century after they had disappeared from the region. The project began in 1984 with the translocation of five rhinos from Assam and Nepal. Since then, the population has grown to more than four dozen, supported by Dudhwa's favourable habitat and rich biodiversity. To accommodate the increasing population and improve genetic diversity, a second Rhino Rehabilitation Area was established in the Belrayan range in 2018....