The Kaziranga National Park, Pobitra reserve forest of Assam which has the highest rhino density in India, Orang National Park of Assam, Lokhawa Reserve Forest are homes to this endangered animal. In 984 five rhinos were relocated to Dudhwa National Park. The Indian Government prohibited all hunting of rhinos in India. World Wide Fund has also given their precious contribution in conserving this animal. The Indo – Nepalese Government has taken major steps in protecting this animal since then. Their major population is generally concentrated in Kaziranga National Park due to which they are more prone to endemic disease, natural disasters and inbreeding depression.Ĭonservation Acts: Since 1975, the Indian Rhinoceros has been declared as endangered. Shooting, electrocution, poisoning, use of noose are some of the heinous ways in which this animal has been obliterated from Indian forests. They are generally poached for their horns used in traditional Chinese medicine. Poaching has been the major threat to one horned rhinoceros. During the British rule, the British Army did extensive hunting of rhinoceros in the Assam valley due to which the number of this animal there dropped down to only 12. Threats: The one horned rhinoceros has been the prime victim of sports hunting since the late 1800s and early 1900s. About 1,885 rhinos were recorded in the Kaziranga National Park of Assam, 108 in Jaldapara National Park of West Bengal. In India, it is found in the floodplains of West Bengal and Assam. Nowadays, due to heavy hunting ad poaching, the one horned rhinoceros has become concentrated only in the north eastern part of India. They used to feed on the alluvial grasslands. Habitat: Once, the one horned rhinoceros was spread all across the northern plains of India, along the banks of Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. Human has proven to be the greatest threat fpr the decline in rhino population. Because of their massive size they do not have any predator in the wild, except that weak and newborns are hunted down by tigers and lions. The live by feeding on plant based diet like grasses, leaves, flowers, fruits, berries, roots, floating aquatic plants etc., They feed in the early mornings and late evenings. The eye sight of Indian rhino is relatively poor and they depend on hearing and smell for sensing the environment.ĭiet: The One horned rhinoceros is herbivorous in nature. They have wart like bumps in the lower part of the body like hind legs. The skin folds in their body help in regulating the body temperature. The males can have body length of about 310 to 340 cm with a shoulder height of about 170 to 186 cm. They use the horn in self-defense, digging up roots and breaking branches. Their horn can grow as long as 45 cm in length. They weigh nearly about 2,200 kg and are the largest of the Asian Rhinos. The males and the females have a single black horn while the children do not have horns. Rhinoceroses are characterized by the possession of one or two horns on the upper surface of the snout these horns are not true horns but are composed of keratin, a fibrous protein found in hair. Their body is covered in skin folds that appear to be armor plated. They have very thick skin which is brownish grey in color. Physical Characteristics: The body of Indian rhino is hairless.
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