U.S. AMBASSADOR URGES ACTION TO PROTECT RHINOS

February 14, 2007                     

SAURAHA, CHITWAN – U.S. Ambassador James F. Moriarty called here today for Nepal and the international community to join together to protect the country’s endangered rhinoceros population.

In a statement read in Nepali to reporters this evening, the Ambassador said “more must be done” to protect the rhinos, whose numbers have declined dramatically in recent years because of criminal poaching.  (The full statement is provided below.)

The Ambassador is visiting Chitwan today and tomorrow morning to explore the issue of rhino poaching and meet with officials and environmentalists. During his stay, he will be briefed on the Terai Landscape Arc (TAL) Project, which seeks to create a single landscape of 49,500 square kilometers by connecting 11 protected areas in Nepal and India.  Restoring the TAL will help ensure the survival of key endangered species, including the rhino.

The project is supported by USAID, the U.S. government’s humanitarian assistance and development agency, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal Program.    

Ambassador Moriarty also visited the Biodiversity Conservation Center at Chitwan National Park and was briefed on its activities.