The second meeting of Asian Rhino Range Countries recently took place in New Delhi. It was organized by the Union Ministry of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN), Asian Rhino Specialist Group, World Wildlife Fund-India (WWF), International Rhino Foundation, and Aaranyak, a non-governmental organization. The inaugural meeting was held in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, in October 2013. The countries participating in these important gatherings include Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nepal.
Meeting Outcomes: The New Delhi Declaration
The second meeting concluded with the adoption of The New Delhi Declaration. This declaration emphasizes transboundary collaboration among India, Nepal, and Bhutan for the conservation and protection of the greater one-horned rhino, also known as the Indian rhino. The focus was on expanding rhino habitats within a country or between range countries. The gathering also gave importance to making optimal use of available individuals and technologies to speed up natural and conservation breeding of the critically endangered Sumatran rhino.
Kaziranga Rhino Conservation Success Story: An Example to Follow
Part of the strategy developed during the meeting has been to replicate or improve upon the Kaziranga rhino conservation success story. Kaziranga, which had fewer than ten rhinos in 1905 when it was declared a protected area, now boasts around 2,938 rhinos. This remarkable recovery makes the Assam’s Kaziranga National Park a model for rhino conservation efforts in the Sumatran and Javan rhino ranges.
Future Plans for Asian Rhino Conservation
| Species of Rhino | Current Global Population |
|---|---|
| Greater One-Horned Rhino | 3,584 |
| Javan Rhino | Critically endangered |
| Sumatran Rhino | Extinct in the wild in Malaysia |
The State of Rhinos Across Asia
Three rhino species are found in Asia: the greater one-horned, Javan, and Sumatran. The Javan and Sumatran rhinos are critically endangered while the greater one-horned rhino is classified as vulnerable. The Javan and Sumatran rhinos, once found from China to Bangladesh, are inching closer to extinction. Rhinos do not exist in Bhutan but occasionally cross over from the Manas National Park in Assam or the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. The surviving rhinos now live mainly in Indonesia and Malaysia.
India’s National Rhino Conservation Strategy
India has recently launched its National Rhino Conservation Strategy. It emphasizes active engagement between India and Nepal to protect rhinos. The strategy discusses managing the single population of rhinos in Sukla-Phanta (Nepal), Valmiki Tiger Reserve (India) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal) and Dudhwa (India) across the political boundary between the two countries, instead of separate management in each country. This approach is expected to pave the way for long-term conservation of rhinos. The plan also calls for expanding distribution range as the occurrence of 90% of rhinos in one protected area is a major concern. The strategy insists on making conservation of existing and potential rhino habitats a national priority and calls for strengthened protection measures, dedicated research and monitoring, and strict enforcement.
