GUWAHATI: Assam forest department has translocated two rhino calves, one male and one female, to the picturesque Manas National Park in western Assam with support from two prominent wildlife conservation NGOs.
These two rhino calves had been rescued from Bagori Range of Kaziranga National Park during the massive flood in the year 2016.
Both the rescued calves have been hand-raised by veterinary doctor and the staff at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Borjuri near Kaziranga National Park.
The CWRC, a renowned wildlife care facility, is jointly run by Assam Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with support of IFAW.
The translocation of rhinos is done with the objective to rejuvenate one-horned rhinoceros population in Manas National Park located at the foothills of Bhutan in western part of Assam.
These two rhino calves were released in the pre-release Boma of Manas National Park on Tuesday by the forest and NGO experts. The calves will be kept inside the Boma for two years to help them get in tune with the new environment there under protection.
The calves were transshipped from the CWRC to Manas National Park by road under proper care.
According to Manas National Park authority, the rhino population increased to thirty-eight in the park on Tuesday with the introduction of these two calves.
Some more rhinos were translocated to Manas Park from Kaziranga National Park and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam earlier under the Rhino Vision 2020.
Rhino population in Manas National Park had gone down drastically during the tumultuous phase of Bodo militancy in late 1980s and 1990s when conservation efforts in the park had gone haywire.
As the situation has been restored to normal, efforts are being taken to restore the rhino population there.
Kaziranga National Park in Assam is known to have the highest number of resident one-horned rhinoceros. The last head count conducted in the year 2017 revealed presence of 2413 rhinoceros in the Park.