Great news for greater one-horned rhinos: The once-endangered animals are making a comeback!
In the early 1900s, the massive mammals were nearly extinct, with fewer than 200 animals left. Yet today, 4,014 greater one-horned rhinos live in the wild in India and Nepal.
The animals are native to both of those countries in Asia. More than 70 percent of greater one-horned rhinos live in India. Officials there recently finished their latest survey of the species. They tallied about 270 more rhinos than 2018 estimates. The rhino population in Nepal also grew, by more than 100 animals from 2015 to 2021.
Greater one-horned rhinos have long been threatened by poachers. The animals are illegally hunted for their horns, which can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Some people mistakenly believe that rhino horns have healing properties. The four other species of rhinos, which are found in Africa and Asia, face similar threats.
To save greater one-horned rhinos from extinction, local governments in India and Nepal have strengthened their anti-poaching laws and increased security in protected areas. Wildlife officials in India have also expanded rhino habitats in some of the country’s national parks to give the species more space to breed.
Still, wildlife experts caution that there’s more work to be done. Although greater one-horned rhino numbers are increasing, the animals are still at risk of extinction.
“The recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is a conservation success story,” officials from the International Rhino Foundation say. “But the story isn’t over yet.”