“The Crown Jewel of India and Nepal”
Photo credit: Bhatti Ijaz
From our article, “The Crown Jewel of India and Nepal is Under Seige: Meet the Greater One-Horned Rhino“, written by guest author, Rhishja Larson:
A shameful testament to rampant sport hunting and unchecked poaching for rhino horn, greater one-horned rhinos were slaughtered until fewer than 200 remained in the early 20th century. Today, the greater one-horned rhino is considered a conservation success story: The population has slowly recovered to approximately 2,850.
Strict protection efforts by Indian and Nepalese wildlife authorities have been instrumental in the recovery of the greater one-horned rhino, a.k.a. the Indian or Nepalese rhino.
Unfortunately, the greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is under constant threat from poaching by Indian rhino poaching gangs originating from Dimapur, Nagaland – a notorious hub for illegal wildlife trafficking. These gangs recruit the help of locals to lead them into the densely forested rhino habitat, where they camp out until killing a rhino.
After the murder, the gangs return with the rhino’s horn to Dimapur; the horn is then smuggled from India via various routes to China and southeast Asia.
Read the full story here.
Did you know? Rhinos have existed on earth for more than 50 million years, and once roamed throughout North America and Europe (as well as Asia and Africa). Click here to read more fascinating rhino facts!
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It isn’t difficult to love that face…….50 million years…..can you conceive of that??? So much sadness everytime I see another foto of an ele or a rhino with no face……and of course, deep dep anger….and still the poachers continue and still places like China are happy to take the “bounty” from these magnificent animals……and destruction of the stockpiles can’t keep up with more new poaching, it seems……but I think it it placing one foot in front of the other and continuing down the path, hoping to see that light at thee end of that long long dark tunnel…..more than likely not in my lifetime…perhaps in yours…..
It is nice to know about the rhinoceros unicornis primary living in a few sanctuaries and national parks in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, whereas few others are found in Chitraban Np in Nepal; However, belonging to Assam, I would like to correct some point of views,_ such as there were not 200 rhinos lleft by the beginning of last century, but twenty something only; Again, it is a success story for which the Indian govt. shouldn’t get credit for ( note its less successful Tiger projects) but the locals who against many odds, alwayes acted with wisdom to remain protectors of the animal.