Rhino poaching in Assam has reduced by 86%: Minister (World Rhino Day Special)

Guwahati, Sep 22 Poaching of rhinos in Assam for the animal's precious horns has reduced by more than 86 per cent in the past three years, Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said as the World Rhino Day was celebrated on Tuesday.

With an estimated Rhinoceros population of 2,640, Assam has the largest number of Indian one-horn rhinos in the world. Talking to , Suklabaidya said one of the biggest challenges faced by the species in Assam is poaching for its valuable horns.

"Due to constant anti-poaching efforts of the state government and forest officials, the trend of poaching started coming down from 2016 as the number of rhinos poached in a year came down from 22 in 2016 to only three in 2019," he said.

"Of the five species of rhinos found in the world today, Assam hosts the largest population of great Indian One-horned Rhino. The population trend shows a continuous increase in the number of GOHR

( With inputs from IANS )