From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Despite poachers killing a number of one-horned rhinoceros in Assam especially in the principal abode of the species in the most well-known Kaziranga National Park, the population of animal has been found to have increased in the state, with the just-concluded census putting it at 2505.
The figure is being 304 more than what it was three years ago.
In Kaziranga alone, which has the highest concentration of the one-horned Indian rhinoceros, the figure has gone up from 2048 in 2009 to 2290 now though about 120 rhinos died there between 2009 and 2011, including 24 killed by poachers and the remaining dying natural deaths including in conflict with tigers in and around the reserve.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Mr Suresh Chand said, “It is a positive development and says a lot about our conservation efforts. “
“If this trend continues we will cross 3,000 rhino population in the state before 2020.”
NNN adds, This latest information on the population of the rhino has augured well for the Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) that envisages at least 3,000 rhinos in Assam by the year 2020.
IRV 2020 is joint programme of the Assam forest department, WWF-India and International Rhino foundation with support from US Fish and Wildlife Service and local communities.
According to forest officials, other erstwhile rhino habitats such as Bura Chapori and Laokhowa wildlife sanctuaries and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park would also get rhinos under the translocation programme in 2013.
The rhino census that was completed on Sunday also registered 100 rhinos in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park and 93 in Pobitora wildlife sanctuary besides 22 that have been translocated to Manas National Park in the past four years or so.
In 2009, Orang had only 64 rhinos, while the figure was 81 in Pobitora.