One-Horned Rhino Dies At Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, 44th Death This Year

The carcass of the full-grown rhino was recovered from a water body at the Kohora range under the Mithunmari anti-poaching camp of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve with its horn missing.

Representative Image | One-horned rhinos graze inside the Burapahar Range of Kaziranga National Park, in Nagaon district.

Source : PTI

Guwahati: The carcass of a one-horned rhinoceros was recovered at the Kohora range under Mithunmari anti-poaching camp of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Friday. The carcass of the full-grown rhino was recovered from a water body with its horn missing. However, the park authorities have stated the cause of the death to be natural and ruled out a poaching angle.

Speaking to ABP Live, Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve Jatindra Sarma said, “The rhino may have died some four days ago and it is found to be a natural death. Though its horn is missing, it is not a case of poaching as its horn has not been chopped off. We believe that its horn has fallen as the carcass is fully decomposed. We are searching for its horn but it is yet to be recovered. Altogether, 43-44 rhinos, including calves and adult, have died in the park so far this year.”

Image Caption: Carcass Of The Rhino Recoverd In The Kaziranga National Park On Friday. (Image Source: KNP Authorities)

The last poaching case in the park was reported in March this year. After that, no poaching case has been reported from the park so far.

The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is famous for the “Big Five” animal species namely Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Elephant, Asiatic Wild Buffalo and the Eastern Swamp Deer.

According to the March 2022 rhino census, the UNESCO World Heritage site boasts an estimated 2,613 one-horned rhinoceros population, which is the highest in the world. It also has the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers in India.

Assam has the highest population of the one-horned rhinoceros with three of its national parks — Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park, and Manas National Park, as well as one wildlife sanctuary, the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the endangered species.

Other than the Kaziranga National Park, as many as three one-horned rhinos have died in the Manas National Park this year.

On August 19, the carcass of a full-grown rhino was recovered near the Rupohi camp under the Bhuyanpara range of the park.

However, the horn of the rhino was found intact indicating that it was not a case of poaching. Preliminary investigation suggested the death of the rhino to be due to infighting between two rhinos.  

It was the third death of a rhino in the park this year. On August 2, a carcass of another rhino was recovered in the Bansbari range of the park. It was later found that the pachyderm lost its life in infighting.  

In July 2023, yet another carcass of a rhino was recovered in the same range of the park and in this case too, the death of the rhino was found to be due to infighting.

 Currently, there is an estimated 3,700 one-horned rhino population in Asia, which has increased from 200 at the beginning of the 20^th century.

The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.

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