Biodiversity Conservation Projects: Project One Horned Rhino

  • What is it?: Project One-Horned Rhino, also known as the Indian Rhino Vision 2020, was an ambitious conservation initiative launched in 2005.
  • Goal: Increase the wild population of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Assam, India, to at least 3,000 individuals by the year 2020.
  • Parties Involved: The project was a collaborative effort between the Assam Forest Department, the Bodoland Territorial Council, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), and the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
  • Strategies
    • Habitat Protection: Strengthening protection measures in existing rhino habitats within Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, and other protected areas in Assam.
    • Anti-Poaching Efforts: Stepping up anti-poaching patrols, deploying surveillance equipment, and fostering community engagement to combat poaching activities.
    • Population Management: Translocating rhinos from areas with high populations (like Kaziranga) to suitable habitats in other protected areas to reduce overcrowding and encourage population growth.
    • Habitat Restoration: Restoring degraded rhino habitats to improve their carrying capacity and create corridors for movement between fragmented populations.
    • Research and Monitoring: Conducting research on rhino biology, population dynamics, and threats to inform conservation strategies.
    • Public Awareness: Raising public awareness about the importance of rhino conservation and garnering support for the project.
Indian One-Horned Rhino

  • 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: 
    • IUCN : Vulnerable.
    • Wildlife Protection Act – Schedule 1
  • Other Protects
    • 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.
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