Indian rhino populations up over 25% in last 7 years

Posted by: Leya Musa / 19 hours ago

After a surge in rhino poaching this year at Kaziranga National Park the forestry department has released a paper to allay fears for the species. The paper shows that despite an increase in poaching of the one-horned rhino the population in Assam is up by 27% since 2006 and the state is on target to meet the Indian rhino vision target of 3000.

The ‘White Paper on Wildlife Conservation in Assam’ was released today by the Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain. It shows that the current population of one-horned rhinos is 2544. This is up from the last census of 2006 when the state of Assam had 2006, giving a population growth rate of 4.6% a year. This is above the target of the Indian Rhino Vision of 3.25%.

The Kaziranga National Park, the stronghold of the species, now has 2329 with the remaining 215 rhino living in other parts of the state.

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Indian rhinoceroses: Reproductive tract tumors reduce female fertility in early stages

Date:

March 26, 2014

Source:

Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (FVB)

Summary:

Reproduction of the Indian rhinoceros faces greater difficulties than was previously recognized. Researchers discovered that benign vaginal and cervical tumors cause infertility even in young females. This substantially affects breeding success in zoological gardens.

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Chester Zoo shock at Indian rhino birth

Meet Komala, the first-ever Indian rhino to be born at Chester Zoo.

Keepers have expressed their complete and utter shock after being initially unsure as to whether mother Asha was pregnant or not.

Komala, who was brought into the world in July, has been shown on public display for the first time, with Chester Zoo staff keen to protect her and her mother in the early stages.

Curator of mammals Tim Rowlands said her arrival had "raised a smile amongst the keepers", who have already welcomed three black rhinos in less than a year.

"Our rhino keeping team, and indeed the rhinos themselves, have had the most fantastic few months and clearly our Indian rhinos weren't about to be outdone.

"Although we had an inkling that Asha was pregnant, it was just that - an inkling and a hunch that comes with experienced keepers."

He added that Komala was both a "breeding first for us [and] a bonus for the population of Indian rhinos, which are yet another rhino species being put at risk as they are cruelly and brutally poached for their horn".

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Chester_Zoo_shock_at_Indian_rhino_birth

Kaziranga’s vital Indian rhino population increases despite poaching

Rhino population increasing slowly

March 2013. Despite an increased level of poaching in Kaziranga National Park, the latest rhino census has recorded a 37% increase since 1999 (And a few rhinos that were relocated to found a new population in Manas National Park).

Kaziranga's rhino population has increased from 1672 in 1999, to 2048 in 2009 and 2290 in 2013.

Kaziranga is a vital habitat for the Asian one horned rhino, containing more than 60% of the world's entire population, as well as more than 50% of the world's wild water buffalo population. Kaziranga, in Assam, is a World Heritage Site.
The census was undertaken by more than 250 trained staff riding on elephants.

Poaching
Last year, more than 20 rhinos were poached in Kaziranga, and 14 have been poached so far this year as poaching has increased.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kaziranga-rhino-census013.html