Rhinos in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve will soon get a unique identity number, a step which will help wildlife officials track their movement. The rhinos will be "digitally-signed" under the Identity-based Rhino Monitoring Programme (IRMP).

"The ID-based monitoring programme will help keep a close watch on every individual rhino in the reserve besides studying their behavioural changes," Director, DTR, Shailesh Prasad said. At present, monitoring of rhinos is done through manual and elephant patrolling. However, after the identity-based programme, the authorities will be able to monitor the movements of every individual rhino.

"Similar identity-based monitoring programme is in progress in Chitwan Park in neighbouring Nepal, where the rhinos are being allotted unique identity numbers," deputy director of DTR Ganesh Bhat said. He said a letter has been sent to the government to seek their permission to go Nepal for preliminary study of the ID-based monitoring programme.

Elaborating upon the programme, Prasad said it relies upon the distinctive characteristics of every rhino, which is distinguished from its fellows on the basis of its uni-horn, back portion, jaws etc. "These distinctive features of every rhino will be photographed and digitised in a computer to make a complete database of a particular rhino and a distinctive identity number will be awarded thereafter," the authorities said. They said during monitoring, the photographs would be matched with the earlier-prepared database.