September 22: World Rhino Day

September 22, 2020

Every year the World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22nd by the World Wildlife Fund and several other international organisations. The day is celebrated to create awareness about the threats faced by 5 rhinoceros species living in Asia and Africa. The day also celebrates these five rhinoceros species.

Highlights

The first world rhino day was announced by World Wildlife Fund South Africa in 2010. The days being celebrated since then. This year the world rhino Day is being celebrated under the theme

Theme: Five Rhino Species Forever

IUCN status of the five rhinoceros species

Javan rhinos: critically endangered
sumatran rhinos: critically endangered
black rhinos: critically endangered
white rhinos: near threatened
greater one horned rhinos: vulnerable

World Rhino Day in India

The Union Minister Shri Prakash javadekar presided over a meeting on the sidelines of celebration of world rhino day in the country. According to the Minister, India is home to the largest number of Greater one horned rhinoceros in the world. There are around 3000 one horned rhinoceros in India. They are spread in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. India has launched National Conservation strategy for Indian one horned Rhino.

National rhino conservation strategy

It includes both India and Nepal in the conservation of Greater one horned rhinoceros. The current population of one horned Rhinos in the world is 3584. Of this India has 2938 and Nepal has 646 respectively.

According to the strategy the single population of rhinos in Valmiki Tiger Reserve in India, Shuklaphanta in Nepal and Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Dudhwa is separated by political boundary between the countries. Therefore, it calls to manage the populations in the two countries under the same protocol. The entire strategy has been built based upon this concept.