Guwahati: The Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of Assam has yet to send the ‘factual reports’ on the rhino population census conducted in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) to the Centre.
Following a complaint filed by Assam environmental activist Rohit Choudhury, alleging anomalies in the estimation of the rhinos in Kaziranga National Park, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on February 19 this year sought a “factual report” from the CWLW.
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Activist Rohit Choudhury in a tweet alleged that the wildlife wing of the Assam forest department has remained silent to the Central Government’s directives on the rhino population census.
He alleged that the wildlife division of the Assam forest department is sitting on the letter sent by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Activist Rohit Choudhury in his letter Union Environment and Forest ministry had alleged that the rhino population estimation in the Kaziranga National Park in 2022 was inflated by manipulating survey data sheets.
According to Choudhury, data sheets from the enumeration across the 84 compartments of the national park showed that the actual count of rhinos was 2,042.
But this figure was “adjusted” after a sample survey in some randomly selected compartments to show 2,613 rhinos —an increase of 200 from the 2,413 rhinos estimated in 2018, the activist had alleged.
Rohit Choudhury had said the survey data sheets were doctored to “mislead the government and the public on the actual number of rhinos” in the national park.