Habitat connectivity for megaherbivores differs to connectivity in carnivores, since carnivores can often pass through degraded habitats, while megaherbivore corridors require forage, water and absence form potential conflict with humans. However, large carnivores have been observed to recolonize areas where these threats have been removed, if such areas are connected with source populations 5. Species are facing an unprecedented extinction crisis due to anthropogenic impacts 1 with large carnivores and megaherbivores bearing the brunt 2.These taxa have been extirpated from many of their natural habitats by direct hunting for meat, trophies, crop protection, and retaliatory killing 3, 4. Establishing new safety-nets and supplementing existing populations of these megaherbivores would ensure their continued survival and harness their beneficial effect on ecosystems and conspecifics like pygmy hog, hispid hare, swamp deer, hog deer, and Bengal florican. Our analysis subsequently prioritised Corbett and Valmiki, for rhino reintroduction and transboundary complexes of Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki and Dudhwa-Pilibhit-Shuklaphanta-Bardia for buffalo reintroductions.
![Download Rain And The Rhinoceros Pdf free Download Rain And The Rhinoceros Pdf free](https://www.mdpi.com/animals/animals-10-02224/article_deploy/html/images/animals-10-02224-g003.png)
We note some reluctance by managers to reintroduce rhinoceros due to high costs associated with subsequent protection. Our results suggest that populations greater than 50 for rhinoceros and 100 for buffalo were less susceptible to extinction, and could withstand some poaching, especially if supplemented or managed as a metapopulation. We prioritize sites based on size, quality, protection, management effectiveness, biotic pressures, and potential of conflict with communities. We used Species Distribution Models in Maxent to identify potential habitats and evaluated model-identified sites through field visits, interviews of wildlife managers, literature, and population-habitat viability analysis. We identify and evaluate available habitat across their historic range (India, Nepal, and Bhutan) for reintroducing viable populations. The greater one-horned rhinoceros and swamp buffalo have declined through historic hunting and habitat loss.
![Download Rain And The Rhinoceros Pdf free Download Rain And The Rhinoceros Pdf free](https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2F1756-3305-5-206/MediaObjects/13071_2012_Article_695_Fig1_HTML.jpg)
Reintroduction of endangered species is an effective and increasingly important conservation strategy once threats have been addressed.