Rhino Census: According to the latest census of the World Heritage Site’s flagship species, the bigger one-horned or Indian rhinoceros population in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has expanded by 200 in four years. The most recent rhino census was done in 2018 with the total number of rhinos at 2,413.
Rhino Census
The last Rhino Census took place in the year 2018. Despite the fact that the tiger reserve covers 1,355 square kilometers, the rhino census was limited to a rhino–bearing region of 864 square kilometers. It took place from March 25 to March 28, with counting taking place on the two days in between.
Fifty elephants were sent to patrol the park’s 84 compartments, as well as adjacent territories and civil areas. The exercise included 252 frontline personnel, in addition to 125 enumerators and independent observers. “We calculated 2,613 rhinos, an increase of 50 rhinos every year since 2018.” During this time, Kaziranga lost 400 rhinos to natural causes, while poachers murdered three, according to Jatindra Sarma, the park’s director.
The deployment of drones for the recheck of 26 park compartments where the sample survey was done was a first for this year’s census. There were 1,823 adults, 365 subadults, 279 youngsters, and 146 calves among the rhinos estimated. Females outnumbered males by 183, including adults and subadults. During the census, the gender of 273 adults and subadults could not be determined.
In March, a comparable census was done in two other rhino habitats in Assam. The number of rhinos in the Orang National Park increased by 24 from the previous year’s figure of 101. During this time, there were no poaching incidents in the 78.81 sq km park on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river.
In 2018, the 38.80-square-kilometer Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary saw five more rhinos than in 2018. There were 50 female rhinos, 30 male rhinos, and 27 calves among the 107 rhinos tallied.