STUNNING! Zero rhinos poached in the Indian state of Assam in nearly 45 years

In what comes as astonishing news for the wildlife conservation projects in India, no rhinos were poached in the northeastern state of Assam in the 2022 calendar year.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter to share the celebratory news and said the 'gentle giant' was much safer in the state.

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"Zero Poaching! 2022 was really special for our rhino conservation efforts. Not a single rhino being poached in 2022 & just 2 in 2021, the gentle giant is now much safer in Assam. Kudos to @assamforest dept & @assampolice for their sincere efforts to protect the iconic animal," tweeted Sarma.

According to Special DGP G P Singh, the last poaching attempt was recorded on December 28, 2021.

“Anti-Rhino poaching efforts have yielded spectacular results. There has been no rhino poaching in Assam in the year 2022. The last poaching was on Dec 28th, 2021 at Hilakunda, Kohora in the Golaghat district. We would strive to keep the graph flat,” said Singh.

The vulnerable species of Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is often poached for its unique horn which fetches thousands of dollars in the black market.

The horn, which can grow up to 60 centimetres in size has medical value in certain countries while it is seen as a status symbol in others. As a result,the horn trade has been one of the major reasons for the poaching attempts.

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However, for the first time in nearly 45 years, the state has witnessed zero poaching incidents, setting a new standard for government agencies to follow.

According to data, over 191 rhinos were poached between 2000 and 2021. The most number of rhinos were poached in 2013 and 2014 when the figure stood at 27. In 2020 and 2021, the number came down and only two rhinos were killed.

The change was made possible after the state BJP government in 2019 decided to constitute a Special Rhino Protection Force to keep a close tab on poaching and its related activities, especially the Kaziranga National Park - home to these majestic creatures.

The task force collated data, used past-poaching activities, and devised a plan that was used to target the poachers.

(With inputs from agencies)

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