WFF mulls reintroducing rhinos in D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary

GUWAHATI, Feb 25:

With Kaziranga National Park and a few other protected areas of the state housing almost two-thirds of the world's greater one-horned rhino, conservationists have suggested that finding more habitats for the species would ensure its long-term survival.
A report by WWF-India, titled 'The Greater One-Horned Rhino, Past, Present and Future', has outlined the need to investigate the feasibility of reintroducing rhinos in D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh and Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.

With Kaziranga alone having a concentration of over 70% rhinos, the report highlighted that 'a local catastrophe - whether caused by poaching, disease or some other factor - could have a devastating effect.'

Already rhinos from Kaziranga and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary have been reintroduced in Manas National Park and the Laokhowa-Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary under the state forest department's Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 which envisages increasing the rhino population in the state to 3,000 by 2020.

After reintroduction of rhinos between 2008 and 2012, Manas now has 32 rhinos but the two pachyderms translocated to Laokhowa-Burachapori last year did not survive. The Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Assam is also on the IRV 2020 list for rhino translocation.

The report suggested translocation of 20 rhinos from Kaziranga to Laokhowa-Burachapori. It also suggested moving an equal number of rhinos to Manas which shares a contiguous landscape with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.

To touch the 3,000 mark by 2020, the rhino population in Assam needs to increase by three per cent every year. "So far, the results have been very encouraging; by 2015, the rhino population in Assam had reached 2,626," the report said.It also pointed out that translocation of rhinos would help create new breeding populations which could rejuvenate gene pools, increase the number of rhinos and help guard against poaching and disease.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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