Rise in Kaziranga rhino count despite poaching

GUWAHATI: Kaziranga National Park’s rhino population has risen by 39 in the 11 months till March 2013 despite growing number of poaching cases.

Forest and environment minister Rockybul Hussain on Tuesday said, “In the last estimation done in April 2012, the rhino population was 2290. In the next 11 months, it rose to 2329.” Poachers have killed 10 rhinos in the first three months of this year.

Apart from Kaziranga, there are 23 rhinos at Manas National Park, 100 in Orang and 93 in Pobitora.