India’s greater one-horned rhinoceros population has increased by 200 over the past four years, the latest government survey on the once-endangered species has found.
The census was conducted last week at Kaziranga National Park in north-eastern Assam state — a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the last natural habitats for the rare rhinoceros in the world.
Greater one-horned rhinos are the largest of the rhinoceros species and for decades faced the brunt of poaching for their keratin-made horns, a crucial ingredient in traditional Chinese medicines.
But on Wednesday park officials said 2,613 rhinos were living in the protected zone spread over 430 square kilometres.
Around 275 of them were juveniles and 146 were calves.
“The increase in population is within the normal growth rate and population pattern. Kaziranga has viable conditions for their habitation and growth. The park has a very dynamic ecosystem,” Ramesh Gogoi, divisional forest officer, told The National.
A total 64 enumerators mounted on 50 elephants and more than 250 ground staff were involved in the census that was previously conducted every six years but now will be done every four years, Mr Gogoi said.
More than a dozen independent observers were part of the programme that saw extensive use of technology such as drones, binoculars and GPS.
The 2018 census had found 2,413 rhinos but since then a series of devastating floods in the state left at least 400 of them dead, several Indian media reports suggested.
The park is located on the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River and is frequently flooded during the annual monsoon seasons that have intensified in recent years due to climate change.
Authorities have built high mud platforms across the park to allow rhinos to take refuge during flooding, a move experts say is helping the animals survive the natural calamity that has become the biggest killer of the rare animal after poaching.
The mammals were declared an endangered species in 1975 after their numbers had dropped to a few hundred.
But over the decades, the rhino population has grown remarkably at the park with the efforts of conservationists and dedicated forest guards, some of them armed with AK-47 rifles.
They were downgraded from endangered to vulnerable in the 2008 Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Only adult males have horns that can measure up to 10 inches and weigh three kilograms. The animals use the horns to protect their calves, dig for water and defend territory.
While the horns are made of keratin like the hooves of a horse or human nails, they are widely smuggled for the belief that they hold medicinal and aphrodisiacal properties.
The horn, a tightly packed bunch of hair, is also becoming a status symbol in Vietnam.
Last September, the Assam government burnt nearly 2,500 horns to mark the World Rhino Day with the aim of busting myths related to rhino horns.
Cases of poaching have dropped to 86 per cent at the park from 12 in 2016 to one in 2021 — the lowest in two decades.
One rhino was killed by poachers in January this year.
Read more about the coronavirus
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206-cylinder%203-litre%2C%20with%20petrol%20and%20diesel%20variants%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20286hp%20(petrol)%2C%20249hp%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E450Nm%20(petrol)%2C%20550Nm%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EStarting%20at%20%2469%2C800%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
