Leonardo DiCaprio applauds Assam government's initiatives to stop rhinoceros poaching

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and environmentalists have praised the Assam government's efforts to successfully stop the poaching of the critically endangered Indian rhinoceros in the state.

The Titanic actor cited a report in an Instagram post detailing how Assam authorities made sure that no great one-horned rhinoceros were poached for their horn in 2022.




The largest protected area in the world for the imperilled great one-horned rhinoceros, also known as the Indian rhinoceros, is Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Two-thirds of the world's rhino population, or about 2,200, call the national park home, but poaching has become a major issue there.

Poachers killed 190 animals between 2000 and 2021 just for their horns, nearly eradicating the species. Due to its high demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine, the horn of the Indian rhino is sold for thousands of dollars each. However, authorities have recently stepped up efforts to stop poaching, and according to data shared by Assam Police in 2022, not a single rhinoceros was poached in Kaziranga National Park. There hasn't been any hunting since 1977.

Leonardo DiCaprio posted on Instagram, "This victory in India also comes with more good news, as WWF also reports that the world population of the rare rhino soared to 3,700, up from around 200 at the turn of the twentieth century." The actor is a member of the World Wildlife Fund's board of directors.

With assistance from the World Wildlife Fund, the Indian and Nepalese governments, according to Kaziranga National Park, have made significant advancements in the preservation of Indian rhinoceroses (WWF). According to Assam Police, 58 poachers were apprehended last year; five were hurt and four were killed.

FAQs

Q1. Where are most of the Indian rhinoceros found?
Kaziranga National Park

Q2. How many rhinos are killed in India?
There were reported 27 rhino deaths each in 2013 and 2014. Each year, two rhinos were killed in 2020 and 2021. The last time rhinos were reported missing before 2022 was in 1977.