Update on Orphan Rhino Reintroduction in India
Endangered Rhinoceros Released in Manas National Park, Assam
Oct 26, 2009
Two years ago the first endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) was taken from Kaziranga, and moved to Manas National Park to help repopulate an area that had been poached out. Now she and two more female rhinos, also graduates of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC)’s hand-rearing program, are living free in the park.
Why Translocate Rhinos From One National Park to Another?
Manas National Park near the border between India and Bhutan is in an area that had been subject to civil unrest which began in the 1990s. During that time it was not possible to protect the wildlife in the park from poachers. Since 2004, things have stabilized.
In contrast Kaziranga National Park has been in existence for over 100 years and has had a long history with little poaching. Some animals, rhinoceros and elephants, from Kaziranga that require rescue and rehabilitation are now being used to repopulate Manas National Park.
There were several concerns regarding the translocation of the rehabilitated rhinos. Since orphaned rhinos had never been used to repopulate poached out areas, no one knew if these inexperienced animals would be able to survive in a new environment. There was also a concern that they might not exhibit normal rhinoceros behavior, having no adult rhinos to guide them.
Study Shows Rehabilitated Rhinoceros Adjusting to Their New Habitat
The study conducted by Ujjwal Kumar from the Aligarh Muslim University found that the activity budgets of the rehabilitated rhinoceros in Manas National Park was very similar to wild rhino. Time spent foraging, wallowing and resting fit normal patterns. The two young rhinos, which were introduced later, have formed a strong bond and spend most of their time together.
Rhinoceros stay with their mothers for several years. Thus the close bond between the younger animals may be an adaptation which provides the rhinos with companionship during a time when they would normally be with their mothers. It will be interesting to see what happens as the rhinoceros mature, as the species is normally solitary.
The older rhinoceros has also begun to expand her foraging range and occupies a much larger territory than the younger two. But her area encompasses that of the younger animals. None of the animals has moved a tremendous distance from the pre-release boma (pen). The area was chosen for its quality of habitat for the endangered rhinos so this is good news.
Reintroduced Rhinos May Help Restore Natural Habitat
Foraging behavior has also been consistent with that of endangered wild Indian one-horned rhinos with the younger animals being more dependent on tree and herb sources than the older animals. One other observation was that there is increasing encroachment of cotton trees (Bombax cebia) and shrubs of the Leea species. As normal wildlife populations are reintroduced into Manas National Park, these species may be once again replaced by natural grasslands.
The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to release animals back to the wild to help maintain or increase populations. Until these young rhinoceros have successfully reproduced, that goal has not been achieved. While it is too early to say the program is a complete success, the progress to date indicates a high likelihood for the return of endangered Indian one-horned rhino to Manas National Park.
Source:
Kumar, U. 2009. Ecological Aspects of Re-introduced Captive Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis in Manas National Park, Assam. Master’s Thesis in Wildlife Science. Department of Wildlife Science. Aligarh Muslim University. Aligarh, India
 |
 |
 |
 |
