THE GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINO: BACK FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

The vulnerable greater one-horned rhino's population growth rate is really a success story in the Indian sub-continent.

MONOJ GOGOI



The greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) also known as Indian rhino is one of the largest herbivore mammals and on the planet. This one-horned rhinoceros is also the second heaviest, weighs 4,000-6,000 pounds, among the rhino species in the world while the heaviest rhinoceros is white rhino of Africa. The height of this dense protective skinned pachyderm is 5.75-6.5 feet and the length is 10-12.5 feet. Due to the loss of habitats, such as fragmentation of forests, tropical and sub-tropical grasslands, riverside forests, Savannah, decreasing of swamps, excessive poaching for it's horns, the population of the greater Indian rhino once declined sharply and restricted to only some foothill areas of the Himalayas, particularly in India and Nepal. And some rhino populated areas in these regions are still not secure from poachers; and in some habitats, the surroundings, which may be called as buffer zones have dense human population.

The conservation of the Indian one-horned rhinos is very challenging, mainly for two reasons- one is habitat loss and degradation; and the another is indiscriminate poaching for its horns. The horns are highly valued in international markets. Armed conflicts between forests guards and poachers are often heard from rhino habitat areas, particularly in Assam in the Indian parts. The rhinos of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP), Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Manas National Park, situated on the Brahmaputra basin in Assam, India, are the prime targets of the poachers. Just a couple of years ago, the carcasses of chopped off-horned rhinos were recovered almost everyday in the above mentioned habitats and carried out as headlines in almost every newspapers published from Assam.  To resist poaching was almost impossible due to inadequate number of forests personnel with inefficient aged old arms and improper technologies and strategies. Poachers killed rhinos with sophisticated weapons and brutally chopped off the horns. Non-governmental organisations, Civil Society Organizations, students' unions and even common people came out to streets in Assam and demanded the government to take immediate measures to stop killing the rhinos for horn. Glaring lacunae was also found in enforcement of laws but now forests guards have right to shoot at sight at protected areas. Experts from national and international organisations like Aaranyak of Guwahati, Assam and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) helped the government of Assam a lot in curbing poaching the greater one-horned rhino. In 2005, the government of Assam launched 'Indian Rhino Mission 2020' along with WWF, International Rhino Foundation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the protection of the animal.

It is traditionally believed in Asia that medicines made from the horns are very important to treat various ailments - from fever to deadly cancer but there is no any scientific evidence on it. Despite international bans on the trade of rhino horns some people still use it as status symbol to display wealth and success.

The growing human population and the impacts of climate change are also considered as prominent drivers of habitat loss for this endangered species . The grasslands in alluvial plains and habitable water bodies are drastically decreasing. The change in land use pattern, intrusion to rhino habitats by extending agricultural land, human settlement etc impacted in the population of greater one- horned rhino.

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam hosts almost 90 percent of greater one - horned rhino population. The WWF and it's partners, and the governments of India and Nepal is doing a very commendable work in conserving this large mammal. The organization aimed to increase the population of this rhinoceros to 3,000 by 2020. But the most appreciable success is that the set goal has not only been achieved but it has crossed this year.

The WWF with it's partner organisations most persistently and scientifically started it's work, including translocation, breeding, protection of habitats, acute observation and work on reproductive health of the pachyderm. The governments too strengthened and strictly enforced the wildlife protection laws, and also increased the security personnel with sophisticated arms and other essentials to curb poaching. Awareness among the communities adjacent to the habitats of this species of rhino also helped a lot.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rated Indian Rhinoceros as a vulnerable species in it's Red List in 2008. And for it's endangered species, particularly for the one-horned rhino, the KNP was given the status of World Heritage site in 1985. Fortunately, the greater one- horned rhino has improved in it's number of population from only 600 in 1975 to 3,580 in 2019. It is really a successful story in conserving this endangered species.