Rhino poaching rampant despite govt efforts; wildlife experts meet to chalk out plan

India is losing one-horned rhinoceros to rampant poaching despite increased efforts by the government for their protection, said wildlife experts while stressing on the need to sensitise para-military forces to protect the species which is being hunted for its expensive horn.

At a workshop on 'National Conservation Strategy for the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros', organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the stakeholders brainstormed on an action plan to protect rhinos.

The experts said that one of the major concerns was that the one-horned rhinos were moving out of Kaziranga national park in Assam, which has 93 per cent of its entire population, due to reduced grassland habitat and rampant poaching.

"Though the rhino numbers have increased in Kaziranga, tree growth has reportedly reduced the grassland habitat. Rhinos from Kaziranga are reported to move out of the park every year during the flood season when they take shelter in higher grounds of the Karbi-Anglong forests in the ...