India and Bhutan collaborate to protect growing Rhino population
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Conservationists in India are asking Bhutan to join them in protecting one-horned rhinos, as the animals increasingly cross the border between the two countries.
Twenty years ago, Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve in western Assam, India had no rhinos. Starting in 2006, a program to reintroduce the species helped the population grow to almost 50. This success has created a new challenge.
Rhinos from Manas National Park are now regularly crossing into Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park, which shares a border with the Indian reserve. Conservation scientists believe a joint effort between India and Bhutan is necessary to manage the shared rhino population and ensure its continued growth. Local communities surrounding Manas National Park have played a key role in the rhino’s recovery.
Forest officials attribute the success to the support of people living near the park, who recognize the economic benefits of increased tourism linked to the animals. Manas National Park, a 2,837 square kilometer tiger reserve, once held around 100 rhinos, but civil unrest and poaching reduced the population to zero between the late 1980s and early 2000s. Between 2006 and 2021, officials moved 22 rhinos from other reserves to Manas as part of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 project.
