One-horned rhinos to get new homes soon

Guwahati: The prized one-horned rhinos, a vulnerable wildlife species, may get some more breathing space outside its biggest habitats in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and West Bengal's Jaldapara National Park.

The new conservation action plan for rhinos prepared by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India and with help from rhino experts and forest departments have proposed for translocation of more rhinos in order to address the growing pressure on its biggest habitats and enhance genetic health to protect their future.

Identifying Kaziranga, Gorumara and Pobitora as the donor sites for the translocation, the action plan has proposed the introduction/reintroduction of rhinos in small sanctuaries in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

It says at least five rhinos can be translocated from Kaziranga every three years to Jaldapara in Bengal and four rhinos every three years from Pobitora to Gorumara, also in Bengal, in order to reduce population pressure and enhance genetic health.

"As Kaziranga holds the largest rhino population, it serves as an excellent donor site for reintroduction efforts. Translocating rhinos from Kaziranga can reduce pressure on park resources, minimise territorial aggression and intra-specific conflicts, and enhance genetic diversity. Based on the population and habitat viability assessment, Kaziranga can safely contribute a maximum of 30 individuals, although the current need is 14 rhinos (eight adult females, three sub adult males and three adult males) annually without impacting the existing population," said the action plan, which was released recently.

Kaziranga has 2,613 rhinos according to the 2022 census. 

The action plan has been prepared under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, a scheme of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change.

It said translocation from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, having the highest density of Indian rhinoceros in the world (107 individuals concentrated in a mere 16 sq km), could reduce risks of territorial aggression, inbreeding, diseases and human-rhino conflict. 

"Jaldapara can safely contribute five rhinos annually. The plan is to exchange five individuals (three adult females, one sub-adult male and one adult male) with Kaziranga every three years and also to provide rhinos for supplementation in other suitable sites." 

Action plan

The action plan also asked Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam to take steps in five years for the re-introduction of five rhinos in 13 years. Arunachal Pradesh's D'Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary has been identified as a suitable site for re-introduction of five rhinos in 13 years.

Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa National Park, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand's Surai Range are the other sites identified for the translocation of rhinos.

The one-horned rhinos, numbering about 4,000 in the wild, are found only in India and Nepal. The action plan said although steps taken have reduced poaching in Assam;  severe floods, decline in habitat quality, fragmentation, invasive species, climate and other anthropogenic pressures are impacting the rhino population.