Posted on 06 January
2011 - New Delhi, India – Ongoing efforts
to increase the population of the vulnerable
Indian Rhinoceros received a crucial lift
just before New Year’s with the successful
translocation of two female rhinos to a
national park in India’s northeastern state
of Assam.
The year-long process
of procuring tranquilizers, radio-collars
and other equipment needed to move the two
rhinos – one adult and one juvenile – paid
off in late December after a specially trained
team released the pair in Manas National
Park located on the Himalayan foothills.
The rhinos, which are
currently listed as Vulnerable by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
were moved to Manas from the Pobitora Wildlife
Sanctuary in specially designed crates.
The nearby Pobitora
sanctuary has accumulated the world’s highest
density of rhinos, with over 80 in less
than 18 sq. km of habitat.
Translocation proving
to be a successful strategy
“The present rhino translocation
is very important to initiate the next round
of translocations in Assam," said Dr.
Dipankar Ghose, head of WWF-India’s Eastern
Himalayas Program.
“It has strengthened
the confidence of all teams involved. Given
the excellent support received from the
state Forest Department and the administration,
this is also a landmark achievement for
active management of species involving different
stakeholders.”
Translocation is an
important part of the Indian Rhino Vision
2020 (IRV 2020), a joint program that includes
the Department of Environment and Forests
of the Government of Assam, WWF and the
International Rhino Foundation (IRF). The
program is also supported by the the Bodoland
Territorial Council, US Fish & Wildlife
Service and local communities.
IRV 2020’s vision is
to increase Assam’s rhino population from
the current 2,200 individuals to 3,000 by
the year 2020. This will be accomplished
through wild-to-wild translocations from
Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife
Sanctuary, the Dibru Saikhowa National Park
and the Laokhowa and Burachopari Wildlife
Sanctuary to Manas.
A continuing conservation
success story
From an estimated low
of 20 individuals in 1905, the population
of Indian Rhinoceros - also known as Greater
One-horned Rhinoceroses – has increased
over 100 fold, nearly all in Assam and most
(86%) within the confines of Kaziranga National
Park.
IRV 2020 also aims aims
to secure the long-term survival of wild
rhinos in Assam by expanding their distribution
to reduce risks like disease, in-breeding
and mass mortality.
"This successful
translocation is a huge step forward for
the survival of this magnificent species,"
said Sybille Klenzendorf, Director of Species
Conservation at WWF US.
"It's amazing to
see the hard work of so many people pay
off with a safe, successful operation."
More translocations
of rhinos planned for future
The first phase of wild-to-wild
translocations under IRV 2020 was carried
out in April of 2008 when two male rhinos
were re-introduced into Manas National Park
from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.
During the second phase,
a total of eighteen rhinos will be translocated
from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga
National Park to Manas National Park in
several batches. As with the earlier translocations,
the adult female has been fitted with a
radio-collar, and both will be monitored
throughout the year by Manas National Park
staff with support from WWF-India.
