Assam celebrates World Rhino Day

GUWAHATI: Assam celebrated

World Rhino Day

on Tuesday as home to the biggest population of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros ((rhinoceros unicornis) in the world.


According to official records, the global estimated population of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros is 3,641 of which 2,993 are in India and Assam alone hosts 2,657 of them –2,413 in Kaziranga National Park, 43 in Manas National Park, 101 in Orang National Park and 100 in Pobitora Wild Life Sanctuary.

Apart from Assam, 237 Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros are in Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary and 53 in Gorumara Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal and 39 in Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh. Outside India, this species is only found in Nepal where their population is 645.

On the occasion Union forest and environment minister Prakash Javadekar said in a tweet, “India is home to the largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world with its population in the range of 3000 animals in the States of Assam, West Bengal & UP.”



Assam forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya in his tweet said, “World Rhino Day has been solely dedicated towards highlighting the extensive efforts for the conservation & protection of our precious rhinos worldwide. Preservation & conservation have been our two firmly implemented visions for the precious rhinos of Assam since the advent of Hon'ble CM Shri @sarbanandsonwal led government in Assam.”

Sailendra Pandey, PRO to the state forest minister, said, “Celebrating the five species of Rhinoceros, on the occasion of World Rhino Day, chief wild life warden of Assam, Mahendra Kumar Yadava today submitted a report on the Assam Perspective for the Greater One Horned Rhinos to the Union Minister for Environment and Forest on behalf of the State of Assam.”

“The Union minister spoke about the protection of the Rhinos in Assam and also appreciated the steps taken by the State Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya and State Forest Department in order to protect the World Famous One-Horned Rhinos of Assam and further urged them to continue this in the future,” Pandey added.

As per the report presented by Shree Mahendra Kumar Yadava, there are around 2657 Greater One Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in the state, of which Kaziranga National Park has 2413, Manas National Park has 43, Orang National Park has 101 and Pobitora Wild Life Sanctuary has 100.

The World Rhino Day is observed every year on September 22 to celebrate the conservation of world’s estimated population of 28,740 rhinos of five different species—White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum), which is the largest group with an estimated population of 20,000, Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis), which has an estimated population of 5000, Javan Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) having an estimated population of 60 and the smallest group of Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatresnsis) with an estimated population of 30 along with the Greater One Horned Rhino species.