Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

Category
Environment
Published
16th Mar, 2024

Context

The Supreme Court froze the Assam government’s move to withdraw a nearly 26-year-old notification constituting the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which hosts one of the largest rhino populations in the country. The Assam government had established a committee to redraw the boundary of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

About

Covering an area of 38.81 sq km, the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary was notified by the Assam forest department in March 1998.
According to a census carried out in 2022, the sanctuary has a population of 107 rhinos, which is the highest density of the species in the world.

Rhinos

There are five species and 11 subspecies of rhino. White, Black, Indian, Javan, and Sumatran make up the five species of rhino in the world.
- White and black rhinoceros are native to Africa.
- Indian, Javan and Sumatran can be found in India and Asia.
Habitat: The animal is primarily found in the Himalayan foothills — India and Nepal.
Conservation Status
- The IUCN lists the one-horned rhino, also known as the Indian rhinoceros, as vulnerable.
- Rhinoceros are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as endangered animals.
- The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 allows for destruction of wildlife parts (including rhino horn) under Section 39 (3).
- There is an international ban on trade of rhino horns under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).