Number of rhinos in Assam's Kaziranga up, says census

The number of world famous one-horned rhinos in Assam's Kaziranga National Park has increased to over 2,400, according to a latest census released on Saturday.

The census, conducted by Assam's forest department, counted 2,401 rhinos, which indicated increase of 71 rhinos in the park in the past two years. The census, launched on Tuesday and continued till Friday, is a regular exercise in the park and it is conducted every three years.

Although the last census was carried out in 2012, the state government conducted a special census of the rhinos in 2013 after a large number of rhinos had been poached in the park.

While the 2012 census confirmed 2,290 rhinos in the park, the special census next in 2013 confirmed that there were 2,329 rhinos in the park.

Kaziranga DFO S.K. Seal Sarma on Saturday said a total of 1,651 adult rhinos were counted followed by 294 sub adult rhinos.

The number of juvenile rhinos in the park is estimated to be 251 followed by 205 calves.

The forest department in association with several wildlife NGOs started the census on Tuesday and divided the entire park into 81 blocks for counting the animal.

A total of 36 elephants of the forest department have been used to carry out the exercise, he said adding that the whole exercise involved about 200 people.