India’s Rhino Stronghold Sees 86% Drop in Poaching and Five-Fold Increase in Rhinos

nnSince 2016, poaching of one-horned rhinoceroses in India’s Assam state has fallen 86% after a change in government brought determined action to protect themnnBy expanding protected areas and bolstering ranger patrols, the steady growth in the number of rhinos, seen since the late 60s, has now accelerated to the point where 3,000 horns grace the Assam savannah.nn“Rhinos are synonymous with the identity of Assam. They are our pride and the crown jewel of our biodiversity. Ever since we assumed office, we have taken various initiatives to protect the prized species, expand its habitat and ensure its safety,” Assam state’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on Twitter-X.nnIn India, the Chief Minister, often abbreviated CM, is the equivalent of an American governor, and the state of Assam which Sarma governs is India’s rhino stronghold, with 88% of all the rhinos in the country located in Kaziranga, Manas, and Orang national parks, and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.nnThe remaining 12% is spread widely across the country. CM Sarma’s tenure which began in 2021 oversaw the addition of nearly 50,000 acres of habitat in Orang National Park, and another 50,000 to two other protected areas.nnLast year, GNN reported that for the first time since 1977, zero rhinos were poached in the country.nnSIMILAR INDIAN SUCCESS STORIES: Rather Than Taking Jobs in Tech, 2 Young Software Engineers Use Talents to Crush Poaching in IndiannSarma ordered the rhinos treated like presidents, with sophisticated police commando teams patrolling the parks with night vision equipment and drones during moonlit nights.nnMORE ANTI-POACHING NEWS: Researchers Test Use of Nuclear Technology to Curb Rhino Poaching in South AfricannSince then, the population of Assam’s rhinos has grown by 105 to 3,000; up from a low of 600 during the 1960s. The government released these poaching figures on World Rhino Day (Sept. 22nd) to show that if the will to protect these beasts is there, the most poached megafauna species on Earth can thrive.nnSHARE This Inspiring Story Of Anti-Poaching In India…