Guwahati: Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has hailed the Assam government for its efforts in stopping the poaching of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park (KNP).
The ‘Titanic’ star, also an ardent environmentalist, quoted a news report which said that no rhinos were poached last year in the world’s largest reserve for the endangered great one-horned rhinoceros for the first time since 1977.
Sharing a picture of a rhino, DiCaprio wrote on Instagram, ”In 2021, the government of the Indian state of Assam set out to end the poaching of the Endangered Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park following the killing of around 190 animals for their horns between 2000 and 2021. In 2022, they met their goal and no rhinos were poached in the area for the first time since 1977.”
Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site, is home to 2,200 one-horned rhinos, which is about two-thirds of the world’s population.
”This triumph in India also comes with more good news, as @wwf also reports that the world population of the rare rhino soared to around 3,700 from about 200 at the turn of the 20th century,” the actor added.