‘Assam rhinoceros data may have been doctored for funds’

‘Assam rhinoceros data may have been doctored for funds’

Context

An organization of whistleblowers in Assam armed with an RTI reply from the authorities of a national park, has said that rhinoceros census data may be getting doctored for ensuring the flow of foreign funds

Info relevant from Pre 2018 perspective

Indian Rhino Vision 2020 initiative

IRV 2020 is a partnership between the Assam Forest Department, the Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF, IRF, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service

• Goal: Its goal is to have a wild population of at least 3,000 Greater one-horned rhinos in the Indian state of Assam – spread over seven protected areas – by the year 2020. IRV 2020 is an ambitious rhino range and population expansion programme
• Rhinos from overcrowded areas, like Kaziranga National Park and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, are being moved to other protected areas where they can breed

Orang national Park

Orang National Park is also known as Rajiv Gandhi National park, located in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of the state of Assam. It was declared as a National Park in 1999

• The park has a rich flora and fauna, including great Indian one-horned Rhinoceros, Leopard, Elephant, Sambar, Barking Deer, Tiger, varieties of water birds, Green Pigeon, Florican, Teal , Goose, etc. It is an important breeding ground for varieties of Fishes
• The park is also famous for its migratory birds like milky white pelicans
• The river is also home to the rare Ganges Dolphin

Pobitora Wild life Sanctuary

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the flood plains of River Brahmaputra in the district of Morigaon and about 45 kms from Guwahati, the capital of Assam. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the flood plains of River Brahmaputra in the district of Morigaon and about 45 kms from Guwahati, the capital of Assam, India

• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary harbors the highest density of Rhino in the world and second highest concentration of Rhino in Assam after Kaziranga National Park