Woes of Kaziranga

Kaziranga is the most important stronghold for the Indian Rhinoceros. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. The 2017 Brahmaputra floods were an unprecedented and submerged almost 90% of the park led to the death of more than 20 Rhinos. Floods caused by overflowing of river Brahmaputra have led to a significant loss of other wildlife. The threat comes from poachers, who kill the rare one-horned rhinoceros for its prized horn whose price in the international market varies from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 90 lakh, and flood which is an annual occurrence in Assam. Coupled with the rampant poaching, blamed mostly on illegal Bangladeshi migrants while not ruling out involvement of militants of the Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers, is the lack of adequate staff in the heritage sanctuary and equipment with the forest department.

The poached Rhino at Karbi Hill.
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