The number of one-horned rhinos in India is growing, says the government September 25, 2024

India's population of Asian one-horned rhinos has almost tripled after decades of conservation efforts and the fight against poaching (Biju BORO) (Biju BORO/AFP/AFP)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

The number of one-horned rhinos in India is growing, says the government

India's Asian one-horned rhino population has almost tripled in the last four decades thanks to conservation efforts and the fight against poaching, according to government figures.

The data released on Sunday, World Rhino Day, reports that the number of the animals, known for their unique horn and thick, armor-like skin, has increased from 1,500 four decades ago to more than 4,000 today.

In the 1960s, there were only 600 left in India.

“This conservation success story is the result of tireless efforts by the forest department and local communities,” said a government statement.

An adult Indian rhinoceros, the largest of the three Asian species, can weigh up to 2,800 kg and live for around 50 years.

They are found in grasslands, swamps and riverine forests in eastern India and neighboring Nepal.

The Kaziranga Conservation Park in the state of Assam, in the remote northeast of India, is home to around 80% of the world's one-horned rhinos.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the Indian rhino as “vulnerable”.

Rhino species face a precarious future worldwide, with populations declining dramatically from 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to around 28,000 today, according to the International Rhino Foundation.

“The great one-horned rhino in India has made a remarkable comeback,” said the government statement.

Despite the success of conservation efforts, rhinos remain threatened by poaching, with their horns used in traditional medicine and valued mainly in China and Vietnam.

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