Bid to raise 100 rhinos in 10 years

Guwahati, August 27, 2014: The Assam State Zoo which has been partnering with the zoos of Kanpur, Delhi and Patna in an ex-situ conservation breeding programme since 2012, has decided to extend its conservation breeding to three other species, i.e., golden langur, swamp deer and Asiatic buffalo.

It has also been decided to raise the number of rhinos through conservation breeding to a hundred across the four zoos within the next ten years.

A meeting, held in this connection at the Assam State Zoo today, was chaired by the Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority (CZA), and attended by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Assam, and representatives from the partner zoos. The meet stressed on the need for developing the required infrastructure and protocol for the purpose. For expediting the conservation breeding programme, the Assam Forest Department has sought the Centre’s permission to capture at least ten rhinos from the wild.

“The conservation breeding programme has been a successful initiative, and in order to meet the target of a hundred rhinos under the programme, we will have to capture some animals in the wild besides using those rescued from time to time,” CZA Member Secretary BS Bonal said. “We are moving the Centre for permission to capture ten rhinos in the wild for the purpose,” Assam PCCF RP Agarwala said.

A rhino calf was born in the Assam State Zoo last year under the ex-situ conservation breeding programme.

Source: Assam Tribune