Context:
Carcass of female one-horned rhino found in Assam
One-Horned Rhino:
- One among the 5 different species of Rhino
- Also known as – Indian rhino
- Significance – Largest of the rhino species.
- The only rhino species found in India
- Features – A single black horn and a grey-brown hide with skin folds.
- Habitat – Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh
- Protected Areas -Pobitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park,Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park.
- Protection Status –
- IUCN Red List – Vulnerable.
- CITES – Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – Schedule I.
- Conservation Efforts –
- 5 rhino range nations (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia) signed ‘The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’
- National Rhino Conservation Strategy
- Indian Rhino Vision 2020
Other Species of Rhino:
- Black Rhino: Smaller of the two African species.
- White Rhino: Recently, researchers have created an embryo of the northern white rhino by using In vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.
- Javan Rhino: Critically endangered in IUCN Red List.
- Sumatran Rhino: Recently gone extinct in Malaysia
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. Asiatic lions are naturally found in India only.
2. Double-humped camels are naturally found in India only.
3. One-horned rhinoceros are naturally found in India only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 2 is not correct. Besides India, they are found throughout the highlands of central Asia from Turkistan to Mongolia and their total population is around 20 million.
Statement 3 is not correct. One-horned rhinoceros are naturally found in Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India.
