Bhubaneswar, Sept 22: Today marks World Rhino Day, a special day dedicated to the protection and conservation of rhinos globally. It is observed annually on September 22 to raise awareness about the increasing threat to rhino populations. However, in Odisha, rhinos are no longer found in the wild, and even in the state's premier wildlife sanctuary, Nandankanan, the absence of rhinos is a significant concern.

The Nandankanan zoo in Bhubaneswar, once home to a rhino, now provides visitors with a rare opportunity to see elephants in place of the rhinos that were previously housed there. The last rhino to reside in the zoo was Nanda, a three-year-old Indian rhinoceros brought from Assam’s Guwahati in 1979. Nanda lived for 37 years in the sanctuary, delighting countless visitors. However, in 2016, just months before World Rhino Day, Nanda fell ill. Despite six months of medical treatment, he passed away on September 28, 2016, at the age of 40.

Since Nanda's death, no rhinos have been brought to Nandankanan due to a lack of breeding or availability of rhinos for exchange programs. Local authorities have expressed hope that if the government prioritizes the matter, new rhinos might be introduced in the future, especially considering the ongoing efforts to upgrade and improve facilities in the zoo with significant investments from both the state and central governments.

For now, however, visitors are often left disappointed as they find that rhinos are missing from the zoo, where once they were an iconic attraction. The authorities continue to work on enhancing the sanctuary's infrastructure, hoping that a focus on conservation and breeding may one day bring rhinos back to Nandankanan.