From Our Kokrajhar Bureau
Kokrajhar(Assam),Mar 1: Two female Rhinos were translocated in Manas National Park(MNP) from Kaziranga National Park this morning.
The female rhinos were translocated to Manas under Indian Rhino Mission-2020 from Kaziranga in a special van and were released at Bansbari range of Manas National Park in presence of officials from forest department,forest staff and local people of the area.
With this translocation from Kaziranga,the number of rhinos has gone up to 43 in the park.
The two sub adult female rhinos have been translocated to the central pit of Bansbari range of the Manas National Park during during the wee hours. The rhinos had to travel overnight from the Kaziranga National Park under strict security surveillance of vets .
AFPE, WWF- India, WTL, Aranyak and other organizations representatives accompanied the the two new members covering approximately 280 kms overnight to reach the Manas NP at around 2.30am in the morning.
This is the third round of rhino translocation under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020.
The new guests were released under the guidance of Anindya Swargadwari, CHD Forest, BTC. The translocated of the were as per the IUCN SSC Asian Rhino specialist guideline after identification and monitoring
A specialised team bas been given the responsibility in Manas NP for regular monitoring of the rhinos as per the translocation protocol of Assam.
The Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 is a joint program of Assam Forest Department, Wild Wide Fund for Nature in India (WWF-India) International Rhino Foundation ORP) amd Bodoland Territorial Council in collaboration and many other organizations.
The IRV 2020 programme was one of the key factors that helped Manas NP to get hack its UNESCO (Natural) World Heritage Site status way back in 2011 and now It can be expected that the rhino translocation program at Manas NP will also contnbule to the mixing of genes fom indivicual rhinos from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park and set up a healthy and breeding population of rhinos for the future conservation of the species This will also contributed to the overall development of park including tourism and transboundary cooperation between India and Bhutan,said a senior forest official in Manas National Park.
