1979 0 1980 0 1981 0 1982 0 1983 0 1984 4 1985 2 1986 0 1987 2 1988 4 1989 3 1990 2 1991 1 1992 3 1993 4 Total 25.
Dudhwa National Park, 12
Total for India is 1504
In 1990, Manas had 85 to 100 rhinos (see Table 8), although it could sustain 200 to 300, according to S.C. Dey, Director of Wildlife Preservation for the Government of India (pers. comm.). About two-thirds of the Park is ideal habitat for the species (Deb Roy, 1991). However, R.N, Hazarika, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) for Assam, fears rhino numbers could have halved since the 1990 estimate due to a great increase in poaching (pers. comm.). Officially, for 1993 the number of rhinos remaining is 60, a figure which is not obtained from a census but is an estimate by the Park Director, P. Lahan. Personnel from a WWF project in Bhutan's Manas Park (where no rhinos are resident) have noticed that rhinos crossing over at night into Bhutan for grasses and minerals (and returning to the Indian side in the morning) have declined in number sharply from early 1992 to late 1993 (pers. comm.). No rhino carcasses have been found in Bhutan, however, although Indians do come across to poach deer and take timber illegally. Table 8: Number of rhinos in Manas National Park. Year Number Source 1966 15 Estimate by Gee and quoted by Spillett (1966) 1976 40 Estimate by A. Laurie (1978) 1986 75-80 Estimate by Assam Forest Dept. 1989 85 Estimate by Assam Forest Dept. 1990 85-100 Estimate by Assam Forest Dept. 1992 80 Estimate by Assam Forest Dept. 1993 60 Estimate by Lahan, Director of Manas Park End
Manas NP, 60 ?
Assam, 1445
Table 10: Number of rhinos in Pabitora Wildlife Santuary. Year Number Comment 1987 54 Census 1993 56 Census: includes rhino habitat outside sanctuary Source: Forest Department of Assam.
The first detailed census in 1985 recorded 65 rhinos. By 1991, 97 individuals were counted. Table 9: Number of rhinos in Orang Wildlife Sanctuary. Year Number Source 1966 12-25 Estimate by Spillet (1966) 1976 25-30 Estimate by A. Laurie (1 978) 1985 65 Census 1991 97 Census 1992 100 Estimate by Assam Forest Dept. 1993 100 Estimate by Assam Forest Dept.
Kaziranga NP, 1164
Orang Wildlife Sanctuary, 100
Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, 56
Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, 5
Other pockets in Assam, 60
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, 34
Garomara Wildlife Sanctuary, 13
Bengal, 47
While two of the rhino species disappeared in this region, Rhinoceros unicornis survived in a few small pockets and with protection from the early 20th century, their numbers gradually rose in Assam to the present number of about 1,450 (see Table 1) in 1993 despite the rhino's slow breeding rate. Assam's protection of its greater one-horned (or Indian) rhinos has been one of the great rhino success stories. An estimated 75% of the total number of this species now exists in this one small state of India. Recent funding cut-backs and political disturbances, however, led to increased poaching in 1992 and 1993, causing concern for the future of the rhino in this poor and backward state (see Tables 2, 3 and 4). S. Deb Roy, formerly Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Assam and formerly Inspector General of Forests (Wildlife) Government of India, believes that the challenge of saving the rhinos is probably much more intense at present than at any earlier time (Deb Roy, 1993).
Table. 1979 6 1980 1 1981 6 1982 5 1983 40 1984 0 1985 0 1986 0 1987 0 1988 1 1989 3 1990 0 1991 0 1992 0 1993 0 Total 62.
Table. 1979 2 1980 3 1981 2 1982 5 1983 4 1984 3 1985 8 1986 3 1987 4 1988 5 1989 3 1990 0 1991 1 1992 2 1993 1 Total 46 Source: Forest Department of Assam
Burning the dead, tall grass has always been the main management tool, enabling new shoots to grow and thus maintaining the grassland ecosystem. About 35% of the Park area is burned annually (Lahan, 1993). This requires little money. The creation of more highland for the rhinos is another requirement. During the monsoon, most of the Park is under water from the flooded Brahmaputra. In 1988 the flood was so bad that 46 rhinos died (Deb Roy, 1993). With increasing human settlement outside the Park on the higher land, rhinos have nowhere to take refuge. Furthermore, road communication is reduced in the Park during the floods. Thus, raising the main roads would allow access to patrol vehicles during the rains and produce high ground for the animals. Bridges also must be maintained for mobility within the Park. During our visit these were collapsing, having remained unrepaired since the last flood due to lack of funds. In addition, many of the bodies of water need to be de-silted and cleared of exotic weeds, particularly water hyacinth, in order to improve the grasses, the main food for the rhinos.
map of Assam with protected areas.
Table 2: Number of known rhinos poached in Kaziranga Year Kaziranga NP 1962 - 1963 - 1964 - 1965 18 1966 6 1967 12 1968 9 1969 8 1970 2 1971 8 1972 0 1973 3 1974 3 1975 5 1976 1 1977 0 1978 5 1979 2 1980 11 1981 24 1982 25 1983 37 1984 28 1985 44 1986 45 1987 23 1986 24 1989 44 1990 35 1991 23 1992 49 1993 40 Total 534 Emd.
Table 4: Number of known rhinos poached in Assam from 1979 to 1993. Year Number of rhinos poached 1979 15 1980 18 1981 38 1982 44 1983 91 1984 45 1985 56 1986 53 1987 43 1988 44 1989 67 1990 45 1991 29 1992 67 1993 70 Total 725
Number of known rhinos poached in Manas. 1962 1 1963 1 1964 0 1965 1 1966 0 1967 0 1968 0 1969 0 1970 0 1971 1 1972 0 1973 0 1974 0 1975 0 1976 4 1977 0 1978 1 1979 5 1980 0 1981 2 1982 1 1983 3 1984 4 1985 1 1986 1 1987 7 1986 1 1989 6 1990 2 1991 3 1992 11 1993 22 Total 78 End
Personnel from a WWF project in Bhutan's Manas Park (where no rhinos are resident) have noticed that rhinos crossing over at night into Bhutan for grasses and minerals (and returning to the Indian side in the morning) have declined in number sharply from early 1992 to late 1993 (pers. comm.). No rhino carcasses have been found in Bhutan, however, although Indians do come across to poach deer and take timber illegally.
Pabitora is further downstream from Kaziranga and covers a mere 16 kmy (see map). With a population of at least 56 rhinos (counted in April 1993), it probably has the highest concentration of wild rhinos anywhere in the world (see Table 10). Pabitora was made into a Reserve Forest in 1971, and cattle and fishermen were then allowed in. In 1985 it became a Wildlife Sanctuary because of the growing rhino population, and people and their animals were officially excluded.
Orang's main problem is that it cannot be expanded in size. On the north and east sides of the Sanctuary are Bengali villages, while on the south and west sides Orang is being eroded by the Brahmaputra and Dhansiri rivers, respectively. Due to the Forest Department's severe cut-back in funds in 1993, repair work since the last floods has been minimal, and much maintenance is needed.
Manas was gazetted a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1928 and elevated to the status of a National Park in 1990.
The first area in Assam gazetted for rhino protection was Kaziranga (see map) in 1908. At this time there were believed to be only a dozen or so Indian rhinos left there, but rhino numbers have now risen to an estimated 1,164 (see Table 5). The 430 kmy of Kaziranga is ideal rhino habitat as two-thirds of the area is nutrient-rich grassland. As a result of its size and and high carrying capacity, Kaziranga holds more rhinos than any other park or sanctuary in Asia.
It lies on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, west of Kaziranga, and covers only 75.6 kmy (see map).
Orang was first secured as a Game Reserve in 1915 because of its growing number of rhinos and in 1985 became a Wildlife Sanctuary.
Assam in north-east India (see map) was once home to all three species of Asian rhinos. They inhabited most of the floodplain of the Indo-gangetic and Brahmaputra riverine tracts and the neighbouring foothills. Human settlement, habitat destruction for crops and hunting, however, led to the killing and loss of almost all of the rhinos by the start of the 20th century.
