Hi Umesh This refers to your mail on Rhino doll. You seem interested to know about the Asian Rhinos-may be we can share something on Rhinos. From tomorrow it will be Rongmon the rhino everywhere in Assam. All of us have a sort of sentimental association with Rhinos and Kaziranga-but sometimes dont you think we get so Kazirangacentric that we start assuming too many things? As Rhino is sort of Assams favorite animal, I think we should get some of our facts right. One thing is for sure-Kaziranga is not the only refuge of Asian rhinos. Asian rhinos (represented by three different species) are found in host of countries like India, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar etc. Great Indian One Horned species, the one found in Kaziranga is found in Nepal (google Chitwan the Nepalese Kaziranga and Bardia) and India. In India again the species is found in is West Bengal (Jaldapara and Gorumara), UP (Dudhwa and Katerniaghat) and of course in Assam (Pobitara, Manas (reintroduced), Orang and Kaziranga). Kazirangas distinction is that that it has got largest population of Indian Rhino in the same way as West Bengals Sundarbans has got the largest population of Bengal tiger inside one reserve. Kaziranga no doubt has been a Rhino success story, but Assam also has other nasty failures as far as rhino conservation is concerned-100% annihilation of Rhino population of Laokhowa in eighties (Assam agitation) and of Manas in nineties (Bodo unrest). I think latest census says some 1800 rhinos in Kaziranga. But this big number alone may not be a USP for Kaziranga from tourism perspective. Tourists generally are happy seeing couple of animals from elephant back-be it in Kaziranga or in Jaldapara in WB-size of the reserve or the total rhino population hardly matter as the elephants riding tourists make the rounds at the small touristy area with its ever present population of some resident rhinos. And interestingly, all these other places put together invite more tourists for the Indian Rhino show than our Kaziranga. Wildlife enthusiast amongst us may like to add something or correct me. Regards
Chittaranjan Pathak ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games. http://games.yahoo.com/games/front _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
