Kaziranga

Last Updated on March 29, 2022 6: 13pm

Guwahati: The population of one-horned rhino at Kaziranga National Park in Assam has increased by 200 in the last four years.

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The four-day census of rhinos at the national park, which concluded on Tuesday, has put the estimated number at 2,613.

The census recorded 903 females, 750 males and 170 of undetermined sex in the adult category of above six years.

In the sub-adult category of three to six years, 146 females, 116 males and 103 whose sex could not be determined were found.

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KNP director Jatindra Sarma said 279 rhinos in the juvenile category (one to three years) and 146 calves (less than one year) were also recorded.

In the last census in 2018, the rhino population in the park, which is spread over 859.98 sq km, was 2413.

Altogether, 64 enumerators, 12 independent observers and 49 media observers participated in the exercise, he said.

Fifty elephants were deployed to cover all 84 compartments of the park and its additional areas, while 252 frontline staff were directly involved in the exercise, Sarma said.

Drones were used for sample recheck and GPS devices were provided to the enumerators for better observation, he said.

Rhino census was also conducted in the Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Both the habitats recorded an increase in the population of rhinos.

In Orang, 125 rhinos were recorded as against 101 in 2018, while in Pobitora, 107 rhinos were counted as against 102 during the previous census.