India's Rhino Conservation Efforts: A Story of Recovery and Expansion

For India, the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is much more than an iconic species. It is an integral part of the ecological and cultural landscape of the floodplains and grasslands of the Brahmaputra and the Terai. The historical range of the greater one-horned rhinoceros extended across the northern Indian subcontinent, along the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems. Today, its wild population in India is concentrated mainly in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is now pushing for the expansion of the rhino range. Our rhino conservation strategy is guided by the understanding that conservation should not be limited to safeguarding existing concentrations of rhinos but should work towards establishing secure populations across suitable parts of their historical range. Recognising the need to secure this recovery over the long term, the Modi government launched the National Conservation Strategy for the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in 2019. The strategy provides a framework for strengthening existing populations, restoring the species to suitable former habitats, maintaining genetic security and habitat connectivity, promoting scientifically planned translocations and building climate resilience into rhino conservation. But the story of the rhino in India is, above all, a story of recovery. Rhino numbers have increased by nearly 170 per cent — from around 1,500 animals to more than 4,000 as of September 2024. Today, India is one of the world’s most important custodians of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros. The five-year Phase I (2026-2031), proposed for support through the National CAMPA Authority, has a total budget of Rs 77.39 crore. The programme brings together Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, with a focus on scientific monitoring, protection, habitat restoration and management, translocation planning, coexistence and capacity building. Importantly, it seeks not only to consolidate the existing populations but also to support expansion of the species into suitable areas in Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh. Species conservation is intrinsically linked to the conservation of their ecosystems. The rhinoceros is a large herbivore whose survival is closely linked to healthy alluvial and Terai grasslands and wetlands. These habitats are also important for swamp deer, wild buffalo, elephants, tigers, numerous grassland birds and a wide range of smaller species. Grasslands, however, are dynamic ecosystems that require active and science-based management to prevent degradation, inappropriate succession and the spread of invasive species. The Rhino Conservation Action Plan provides for mapping and assessing grasslands and wetlands, identifying invasive species, prioritising habitats for intensive restoration and developing Protected Area-specific management protocols. This species-focused effort is complemented by a wider national initiative. Rs 20.86 crore has been earmarked for the five-year (2026-2031) project on the Comprehensive Assessment of Indian Grasslands, to be implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and Forest Survey of India. The project will assess grassland extent, ecological condition, biodiversity, degradation, ecosystem services and carbon potential, and will support a National Grassland Atlas, restoration priorities and long-term management guidelines. Together, these initiatives are placing science-based grassland restoration and management at the centre of the next phase of rhino and landscape conservation. The government is ensuring climate resilience becomes an increasingly important part of this effort. Flooding is intrinsic to the ecology of landscapes such as Kaziranga , yet the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events can create new conservation pressures. Maintaining access to higher ground, securing ecological connectivity, protecting dispersal routes and managing habitats at a landscape scale will become increasingly important. The National Conservation Strategy appropriately recognises climate-resilient management as part of the long-term framework for the species. Technology, too, has an expanding role. Modern surveillance, spatial monitoring, veterinary diagnostics, genetic tools and decision-support systems can reinforce traditional fieldcraft. Yet, no technology can substitute for the men and women who patrol these landscapes every day. Forest guards, watchers, mahouts, veterinarians and field officers remain the foundation of wildlife protection. World Rhino Day is, therefore, also an occasion to acknowledge their dedication. Equally important are the communities living around rhino habitats. The future of the species ultimately depends on conservation being seen not as an isolated governmental activity, but as a shared enterprise. India’s experience has also shown the importance of cooperation beyond state and national boundaries. At the Second Asian Rhino Range States Conservation Meeting held in New Delhi in February 2019, India joined Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal in adopting the New Delhi Declaration to strengthen conservation cooperation for Asian rhinoceros species. The Centre and the rhino-bearing states have since continued to work within this broader conservation framework. On this World Rhino Day, we can take legitimate satisfaction in the distance travelled — from a species once pushed towards extinction to a population that has shown sustained recovery. The Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros reminds us that decline is not irreversible when society chooses to act with determination. In protecting them, we are also protecting the rivers, grasslands, wetlands, forests and communities that together make these landscapes among India’s richest natural treasures. The rhino’s recovery is a national achievement. Its future is a national responsibility. The writer is Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change