In News
- The Rhino population in Kaziranga National Park of Assam increases by 200 according to the latest census.
- The population was 2413 in 2018 now it is 200 more which is a huge achievement for the future of Assam Wildlife in the country.
About Indian One-Horned Rhino
- The greater one-horned rhino (or “Indian rhino”) is the largest of the rhino species.
- Physical Appearance
- Indian Rhinos are brownish-grey in colour and are hairless.
- They have knobby skin that appears to be armour-plated. A single horn sits on top of their snout, and their upper lip is semi-prehensile.
- The greater one-horned rhino is identified by a single black horn about 8-25 inches long and a grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives it an armour-plated appearance.
- Diet : They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.
- Habitat:
- It is confined to the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.
- The Great one-horned rhino is commonly found in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and in Assam, India.
- Conservation Status: Greater One-Horned Rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis): Vulnerable.
Conservation Efforts by India
- The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has launched a National Conservation Strategy for Indian One-Horned Rhino and the conservation initiatives for rhino has also enriched the grassland management which helps in reducing the negative impacts of climate change through carbon sequestration.
- New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019: Signed by India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve and protect the rhinos.
- Project to create DNA profiles of all rhinos by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Indian Rhino Vision 2020:It is a unique programme where the government partnered international, national and local organisations for the conservation of the rhinos.
- Under it, Manas has received a total of 22 rhinos from other protected areas.
- The Indian and Nepalese governments have taken major steps toward Indian Rhinoceros conservation with the help of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Source:TH
