Manas National Park’s rhinos thrive as habitat shrinks

In Assam, India, the greater one-horned rhinoceros population is rebounding in Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve after being driven to local extinction by poaching and civil unrest in the 1990s.

Conservation efforts, including the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 program, reintroduced rhinos from nearby parks starting in the 2000s, and the population has grown with 35 calves born between 2012 and 2021. However, the grasslands that rhinos and other wildlife depend on are diminishing.

Grassland cover within the Manas Tiger Reserve fell from 53.61% in 1990 to 30.24% in 2019, a loss of over 43%. This decline results from a combination of factors, including invasive plant species like Chromolaena odorata, natural changes in vegetation, altered flood patterns, and past disruptions caused by conflict. Park authorities and conservation groups finalized a Grassland Management Action Plan in 2021 to address the issue, focusing on mapping and removing invasive plants, restoring degraded areas, and involving local communities.

Recent initiatives include opening a native grass nursery to support restoration efforts. However, these efforts are complicated by ongoing land use challenges, including alleged encroachment and disputes over tourism infrastructure within the reserve. A case is currently before the Gauhati High Court regarding alleged unauthorized farming within the park, and concerns have been raised about a tourist facility built in a critical tiger habitat that may violate conservation guidelines.