Lakhimpur Kheri, Sept. 23 -- 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, courtesy the rhino rehabilitation programme introduced in 1984. With adaptable habitat conditions here 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 tiger attacks or mating conflicts. The DTR administration is now preparing to take the next step in its conservation journey that is gradually releasing Dudhwa rhinos from solar-powered enclosures to allow them to roam freely in the forest. The step served two purposes, one to accommodate the growing population and the other - major one - to ensure gene diversity among them. Furthermore, DTR authorities have ensured radio-collaring of the rhinos, to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of their movements by a dedicated team. So far, eight rhinos have been freed from their electrified enclosures in different phases while some more are awaited to be released into open forests of Dudhwa within next few months, DTR officials informed. Field director, DTR, Dr H Rajamohan said that the adaptable environment of Dudhwa helped the one-horned rhinos flourish on their ancestral land....