A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: The global population of the greater one-horned rhinoceros has now reached 4,075, with about 80 per cent of the population found in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, according to the latest assessment jointly conducted by India and Nepal.
Assam has made a historic contribution to the conservation of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, with more than a century of conservation efforts. At present, Kaziranga National Park has more than 2,600 rhinos, making it the largest habitat of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in the world, according to assessments.
India currently has around 3,323 greater one-horned rhinos, while Nepal has approximately 752. In Assam, more than 2,600 rhinos are found in Kaziranga National Park, while around 40–50 are found in Manas National Park. Rhinos are also found in Orang and Pobitora. Following the earlier disappearance of rhinos from Manas National Park, rhino reintroduction programmes have been undertaken there at different times.
Kaziranga’s strong anti-poaching mechanism, along with improved firearms provided to forest personnel in recent years, integrated planning and strengthened management, has further enhanced its efforts to prevent rhino poaching. According to departmental data, rhino killings and attempts to kill rhinos in Kaziranga have declined by 86 per cent since 2016.
During this period, 42 suspected poachers were apprehended, six poaching camps were destroyed, and nine attempts to kill rhinos were foiled. In addition, 253 forest camps have been established inside and around the national park. Drones and thermal cameras have been deployed for surveillance, while a strong network of informants and a more robust and controlled management system have also been put in place.
As a result, according to departmental data, Kaziranga achieved zero rhino killings for the first time in 2022. In 2025, India, Nepal and Indonesia jointly succeeded in achieving zero rhino killings, with Kaziranga being one of the important contributors to this achievement. Notably, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve achieved this success for the second time since the 1970s.
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