Rhino Guardians Project

India is the last stronghold of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, with an estimated population of over 3000 rhinos in India, wherein Assam is home to nearly 88% of this population. Though accorded the highest protection under Wildlife Protection Act (1972), rhinos to date are targeted for their horn, believed to have supernatural powers in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) without any medical justification, to satiate the unabated demand from Southeast Asian countries.

Fake Rhino Horn | Photograph by WTI

While a healthy population resides at the Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park, pocket, yet considerable populations are present in the targeted protected areas (PAs) of Orang NP and Pobitora WLS i.e. 125 and 107 respectively. In terms of the protection of the species, both Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park have been on high priority, wherein more emphasis and redirection of resources have significantly contributed to the thriving populations of rhinos. In comparison to that, the population residing in Orang, which is considered home to the second-largest population of rhinos in Assam, after Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora with the highest density of the species are more vulnerable to poaching attempts. Last year, poachers used a tranquilizer gun to sedate a sub-adult male rhinoceros in Orang National Park. The rhino was dehorned but survived the attack. This was the first time that poachers had used tranquilizer guns to poach a rhino in Assam and thus, points to a worrying development where poachers are becoming more sophisticated in their methods. This highlights the importance of bringing Orang and Pobitora at the same conservation pedestal as Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, thus strengthening the protection of the rhinoceros in the target landscape.

The Rhino Guardian Project of WTI aims at assisting the forest department and other associated enforcement authorities in cracking down on the poaching of one-horned rhinoceros in both Orang NP and Pobitora WLS.

Partners: Rhino Recovery Fund, Wildlife Conservation Network

Project Lead: Debobroto Sircar