Guwahati: The carcass of a full-grown one-horned rhinoceros was recovered near the Rupohi camp under the Bhuyanpara range of Manas National Park in Assam on Saturday. While the park authorities are investigating the cause of the death, the intact horn implied that it was not a case of poaching. Preliminary investigation suggested the death could be caused due to infighting.
This is the third rhino death this year. On August 2, the body of another rhino was recovered in the Bansbari range. The death was caused by infighting. Before this, another rhino died due to infighting in the same range of the park in July.
The Manas National Park was inhabited by a significant rhino population in the 1980s and early 90s. However, the endangered species almost became extinct in the late 90s due to rampant poaching, especially by various militant groups who were then active in the area.
Due to its diminishing population in the park, the Assam forest department in 2005 planned to translocate rhinoceroses from the Kaziranga National Park and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which had a sizable population of rhinos.
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Translocation of the animals from other habitats began in 2008 under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020). IRV2020 is a collaboration of the Assam forest department, the International Rhino Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India, United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Since then, the park has seen a significant growth in the rhino population and now is home to an estimated 43 rhinoceroses.
However, the frequent deaths in the park have raised concern among the park authorities.
The Manas National Park is a designated Key Biodiversity Area and a Transboundary Manas Conservation Area which houses several endangered animals, including Royal Bengal Tigers.
(The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.)