Did Assam government jack-up Rhino count in Kaziranga, officials deny manipulation

The Assam government officials of the Kaziranga National Park released data proving a significant growth of engendered Rhinoceros in the captivity of the national park.

According to the recent census, rhinos at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) numbered 2, 613 in March 2022, including males, females, and calves. The highlighted figure was 200 greater than the expected 2,413 rhinos in 2018.

However, Assam-based environmental activist Rohit Choudhury wrote to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on January 27 alleging that the 2022 census of Kaziranga's flagship animal was manipulated to arrive at the figure of 2,613 rhinos and alleging that rhino estimation could have been doctored.

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The overall number of rhinos in the UNESCO World Heritage Site increased from 2,042 to 2,634 and was then amended to 2,613, he added. 

Following the claims, the MoEFCC's Wildlife Division and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) requested that Assam's Chief Wildlife Warden provide a progress report on the census "at the earliest" and "urgently" in February.

M.K. Yadava, Assam's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force (PCCF & HoFF) responded to the letter requesting the status report, saying the claims were baseless. In his response on April 11, he also requested "suitable action" against Choudhury for bringing dishonour to the KNPTR, the world's biggest habitat for endangered one-horned rhinos.

Yadava claimed the allegations caused "irreparable damage" to Kaziranga's security and "uncountable disrepute" to census enumerators and the Forest Department, and that for the 2022 census, a method in use since 1966 and the MoEFCC's standard operating procedure on one-horned rhinoceros population estimation were followed.

Yadava also stated that there was a "counting of rhinos sighted" on March 26 and 27, 2022, rather than the "actual counting of rhinos" as Choudhury claimed. On March 28, the park's 33 segments were recounted.

However, in a statement made on March 29, 2022, following the census, KNPTR's Director Jatindra Sarma stated that real rhino counting was done on March 26 and 27, and a sample survey was undertaken on March 28 in 26 randomly selected compartments of the park.

"Now, Yadava says 'counting of rhinos sighted' and '33 compartments revisited, recounted'." Who is being truthful? It should be decided by the KNPTR director, the PCCF, and the HoFF (sic)," Choudhury tweeted on Wednesday.

As per the release, Rhino population Census- 2022 was conducted successfully at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which was divided into 9 blocks for counting the Rhinos, wherein 11 Enumerators and 9 Observers from different organisation was deployed over two days.

The assessment was carried out using the Block Count method. The Enumerators and Observerscomprised of Forest Officials, volunteers of NGOs- Aranyak, WWF, Elephant Foundation, and local NGO-Hipa among others.

107 Rhinoceros comprised 30 males, 50 Females and 27 claves at Pobitora, which is an increase of 5 animals over the last count of 102 conducted in 2018. With a notified area of 38.81 sq km; Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary harbours the highest density of Rhino population. 

Conservation partners as well as support from District administration and Police. 
It is pertinent to note that since 2014, there has been no instance of poaching in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.