KOHORA, March 30 - Under Indian Rhino Vision 2020 strategic plan, two rhinos (both female) from the western range of Bagori in Kaziranga National Park were successfully translocated to Burachapori Laokhowa Wildlife Forest under Nagaon division on Tuesday.
Launched in 2005, Indian Rhino Vision 2020 is an effort to attain a wild population of at least 3,000 one-horned rhinos spread over seven protected areas in Assam by the year 2020.
The entire operation started under the supervision of State Forest Department in association of WWF India, International Rhino Foundation, and wildlife biologists from different wildlife NGOs.
The basic objective is to save the species for future generations as well as to improve the breeding status of these rhinos. Secondly, since there is a high density of rhino population in Kaziranga National Park, each rhino is somehow managing to have only 0.2 sq km for grazing instead of actual area of 1.5 sq km. So, it is essential to translocate them to other similar habitat area.
Thirdly, if any possible outbreak of any serious disease takes place in the form of epidemic in one protected forest area, then it would be very difficult to save the species of rhino for future generations. Thus, to avoid such situation, they are required to be translocated to other forest areas.
In total, ten rhinos would be translocated to Burachapori Laokhowa in a phase-wise manner, forest sources said.
