16.4.2. Why?

♤ Concentrating so many rhinos in a single protected area like Kaziranga exposes the species to risks of calamities (epidemics, floods, massive poaching attempts). Further, rhinos in Pabitora have exceeded carrying capacity and numbers must be reduced to protect the habitat and to mitigate the increasing rhino- human conflicts.

♤ Rhino species: Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis)

♤ Activities: Anti-poaching, monitoring, translocations, community conservation.

♤ Translocations are the backbone of the IRV 2020 program

♤ The goal set was to populate the potential rhino habitat areas identified viz. Manas NP, Dibru Saikhowa WLS, Laokhowa - Bura Chapori WLS with a viable population of rhino through translocations from Kaziranga NP and Pobitora WLS.

♤ Manas National Park was selected as the first site for translocation of rhinos.

♤ Ten rhinos have been released into Manas since 2008. Ten more rhinos will be moved from Kaziranga National Park before the end of the year. Translocating rhinos will help to create a viable population of this threatened species.

Do you know?

CNG is not without environmental drawbacks, burning CNG has the highest rates of potentially hazardous carbonyl emissions. - Central Pollution Control Board (study 2011).