A translocated rhino gives birth in Manas National Park, Assam, India

One of the female rhinos translocated from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to the Manas National Park has given birth to a calf yesterday in the Bhuyanpara range of the Park as confirmed by a rhino monitoring team from Manas. The rhino designated as ‘Rhino 10’ was translocated under the aegis of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 programme (IRV 2020) - a joint initiative of the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Assam; WWF-India; the International Rhino Foundation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, alongwith the Bodoland Territorial Council and supported by a number of local organisations. A total of 18 rhinos – ten from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and eight from Kaziranga National Park have been translocated so far to Manas National Park. Rhino 10 was released in January 2012 in Manas.

The rhino monitoring team consisting of Forest Department staff and WWF-India researchers chanced upon the calf yesterday morning while undertaking routine monitoring. However, it was not possible to obtain a photograph of the mother and calf as the area is covered with thick vegetation and the team took a decision to not disturb the newborn calf by going too close.

The birth indicates that the translocated rhinos have adapted well to the new environment and are beginning to thrive. This is the first offspring to be born to a translocated rhino in Manas.

Under IRV 2020, Manas National Park has been provided much support to upgrade its infrastructure and monitoring capabilities to enable better protection for the translocated rhinos.

WWF-India, as a constituent and partner of the IRV 2020 programme continues to support the Assam Forest Department in its endeavour to provide a safe and secure future for Assam’s rhinos spread across different Protected Areas.

Note: High resolution photographs and b-roll video footage of rhinos available upon request

For more information:
Amit Sharma, Coordinator, Rhino Conservation, amitsharma@wwfindia.net , +91 943501 5657
Anil Cherukupalli, Senior Communications Officer, anil.cherukupalli@wwf.panda.org , +91 99998 33440

About IRV 2020:
The IRV 2020 is a joint programme of the Department of Environment and Forests – Government of Assam, WWF-India and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) with support from the Bodoland Territorial Council, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the local communities.

The programme’s vision is to increase Assam’s rhino population to 3000 by 2020, which will be done by wild-to-wild translocation from Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas and Dibru Saikhowa National Parks as well as Laokhowa and Burachopari Wildlife Sanctuaries. Assam accounts for the largest population of Indian rhinoceros. Though rhino numbers in the state have grown from 2000 in 2005 to over 2700 in 2011, more than 90% of these live in just one Protected Area, which is the Kaziranga National Park. The IRV 2020 programme aims to secure the long term survival of wild rhinos in Assam by expanding their distribution to reduce risks like disease, in-breeding depression and mass mortality.