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Source-This post on Pobitora Wildlife Sanctury is based on the article “Assam Cabinet decides to de-notify prime rhino habitat” published in “The Hindu” on 13th March 2024.
Why in the News?
Recently, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking relief from demarcating Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and removing encroachments.
About Pobitora wildlife Sanctury
| Aspect | Details |
| Location | 1. It is located on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Morigaon district, Assam. 2. It covers 38.85 km2 area providing grassland and wetland habitat for the Indian rhinoceros. 3. The Sanctuary consists of the Rajamayong Reserve Forest and Pobitora Reserve Forest. |
| Status | It attained the status of a wildlife Sanctury in 1987. |
| Special Feature | 1. It is known for holding the highest density of Greater One Horned Rhinoceros in the country. 2. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary also known as “Mini Kaziranga” due to its comparable landscape and notable population of the one-horned rhinoceros. |
| Vegetation | It has grassland vegetation consists of at least 15 grass species. |
| Flora | Pabitora Wildlife sanctury comprised of wet savannah, featuring a variety of vegetation such as Arundo donax, Erianthus ravennae, Phragmites karka, Imperata cylindrica, and Saccharum spp. |
| Fauna | 1. The wildlife sanctuary is home to endangered one-horned rhinoceros and the other mammals such as Leopard, Leopard cat, Fishing cat, Jungle cat, Feral Buffalo, Wild pigs, Chinese pangolins, etc. |
About One Horned Rhinoceros
1. The Greater One-Horned Rhino is the largest among the rhino species, characterized by a single black horn and a grey-brown hide with skin folds.
2. They primarily graze, consuming grasses, leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruits, and aquatic plants.
3. Assam hosts an estimated 2,640 rhinos across four protected areas: Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park. Approximately 2,400 of them reside in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR).
4. Conservation Status: Its conservation status is as follow:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
- CITES: Appendix I (prohibiting international trade in specimens except for scientific research).
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.
Read more: State of the Rhino Report 2023
UPSC Syllabus: Environment
