DNA mapping of rhino horns in Assam marks major step in long-term conservation
A major rhino horn sample verification drive in Kaziranga by WII and partners aims to boost rhino conservation using DNA data for population management and anti-poaching efforts.
Kaziranga, July 25: The recently conducted rhino horn sample verification process by the State forest department in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and RhoDICS, India with support from Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change Government of India and WWF-India, at Kohora here, is seen as a step to future conservation of rhinos.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune, Prof Samrat Mondol from the department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, WII, stressed on the importance of the exercise, "The massive exercise of biological sampling was conducted to understand the genetic diversity of rhinos present in the State. The State has taken the decision to assess the historical genetic variation of rhinos for future population management and to mitigate the threats posed by the illegal trade of rhino horns."
Speaking about the need of the exercise, consisting of rhino horns from different parts of Assam, Prof Mondol said, "The institute has a long history of collaborative research on rhino conservation in India, and I, on its behalf, contribute my expertise in molecular tools. I strongly believe that any species conservation programme should adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, and the genetic work on the Assam rhino horns forms part of the long-term conservation strategy for the species in Assam."
Prof Mondol further explained, "RhoDIS-India, also known as the Rhino DNA Indexing System in India, is a unique collaborative research program aimed at countering rhino poaching threats and aiding in population management by providing DNA-based data from individual rhinos across all extent of wild population. The programme has been implemented in a phased manner, with Phase I initiated around 2016, and Phase II commencing in 2022. WII handles the data generation and database maintenance, and the Ministry monitors the project's regular activities. The data is also being used to understand population-specific management based on their genetic composition. It is also being used to assist in court proceedings related to rhino-related wildlife crimes."
When asked about future prospect, Prof Mondol elaborated, "Future rhino conservation efforts rely on human-mediated management actions, such as translocations, habitat restoration, identifying new potential habitats, etc. I believe that all the data generated through the RhoDIS-India programme and the horn stockpiles will greatly assist in achieving these goals."