State of the Rhino Report 2023

Why in news?

• The State of the Rhino Report, 2023 has been released.

About State of the Rhino Report 2023:

• The State of the Rhino Report, 2023 has been released by US-based International Rhino Foundation (IRF).
• The report comes ahead of World Rhino Day, an annual global celebration of the five rhino species and their conservation on September 22.

Threats: 

• Habitat loss, poaching and climate change continue to threaten the existence of all five rhino species.
  • Rhino populations that were once considered less threatened have seemingly become the primary target of poaching efforts which are orchestrated by highly organized, transnational criminal syndicates.
• Impact of Climate Change: 
  • In Africa, climate change-induced drought is causing myriad detrimental impacts.
  • In Asia dramatically increased precipitation and longer monsoon periods could cause more direct deaths of rhinos and humans alike.
  • Changing weather conditions and landscapes can also trigger an increase in invasive plant species, crowding out or overtaking native rhino food plants and causing general habitat degradation.

Greater One Horned Rhino:

• Greater one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis) reside primarily in India and Nepal, though there is a population that occasionally crosses into Bhutan. 
• Bhutan, India and Nepal work together to implement a trans-boundary management strategy for the greater one-horned rhino. 
• Due to this collaboration and strict government protection and management, the greater one-horned rhino population has steadily increased over the last century, and has grown about 20% over the last decade. 
• Deaths of Greater One Horned Rhino:
  •  After reporting no poaching deaths in 2022, India has recorded two deaths of Greater One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) until September 2023.
  • The deaths were reported from Manas National Park and Kaziranga National Park.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements regarding Indian rhinoceros:

1. It is found only in Kaziranga Wildlife sanctuary in India.

2. It is the largest extant species of rhinoceros.

Choose the correct statements from the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer