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Writer's pictureAvilasha Sarmah | storytellerearthling

Up Close with Biodiversity's Guardian Angel - The One Horned Rhinoceros

Updated: Oct 4

This is the story of a "Vulnerable" piece of Nature's heart carrying the weight of the forest, a survivor, a phoenix rising, an earthling in its largeness of being, an animal that enkindled my connection with the wild. (All photos by me)



a one horned rhinoceros in a green swamp with hills in the backdrop


Gray skin, rugged coat, mud-soaked:

Often solo, standing tall.

You'd think they're carrying the weight of the world.

A fading link to pre-historic;

Ancient in their ways;

Wearing a crown jewel, keeper of Nature's Kohinoor - the single ivory horn;

Blessing or Curse?

Revered herbivore, wilderness royalty:

Keeper of biodiversity (thus pretty much life on earth);

But a prized game, a celebrated victim:

Prey to soullessness;

Life is a global statistic;

Nonetheless timeless sentinel of the wild;

Peaceful if never nonchalant;

Wiser than late-blooming humans;

Earthling of experience:

Suddenly stops eating grass, looking up;

Looks right through:

A moment of alignment or indifference of coexistence?

A moment of being, leaning, learning -

Imprinted in mine.



a close up shot of the one horned rhinoceros grazing


I met a Greater One Horned Rhinoceros recently, it stood less than a meter away from me, in its largeness, a bridge between modern and prehistoric, in its knight’s armor-like gray coat, regal, albeit peacefully munching on water hyacinth, feet deep in muddy waters, its big ears in an occasional peaceful nudge. As we stood quietly in our safari vehicle, our gadgets capturing, the Rhino did not look up, but I could tell it sensed our presence clearly, it chose not to bother, lest it did, a few large steps into a swift charge would mean a vehicle toppled before we could flee.




a one horned rhino grazing in a swamp of water hyacinth


I grew up with the lore of Rhinos, a childhood so close to the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Assam, India (a paradise on earth in its own right) where 70% of the Greater One-Horned Rhino population in the world, currently reside, and 80% are found in the state's several National Parks, about 4014 One Horned Rhinos in the Wild (as of 2024).


Leading by Example -


Though there was a time when the One-Horned Rhinoceros also known as the Indian Rhino, and the largest among the Rhino species, had alarmingly declined into extinction - "By the start of the 20th century, around 200 wild greater one-horned rhinos remained" (Source: the World Wildlife Fund). In 1960s there were just about 600 Rhinos.


This was not just due to habitat loss, the disappearance of alluvial grasslands, but also because of poaching – the ivory horn of the rhinos, its crowned jewel, is of high demand in the illegal market – wherein poachers mercilessly kill these rare animals.


After a bout of conservation strategies which is a rare light in the wildlife conservation genre - organizations in civil society, aware individuals, passionate volunteers, and the government worked together to stop its decline, moving the status of the Greater One-Horned Rhinos from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable” currently in the IUCN List with 4014 Indian Rhinos in the wild, as of date.

"The recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among the greatest conservation success stories in Asia. The greater one-horned rhino was brought back from the brink. Today populations have increased to around 4000 rhinos in northeastern India and the Terai grasslands of Nepal" (Source: the World Wildlife Fund)




a one horned rhinoceros grazing by a river bank


Today, if you visit the areas close to National Parks in Assam, such as the Kaziranga, Manas, Pobitora, and Orang, you will see how the local villages in the periphery have become protectors of the Rhinos against poachers, and conservation workers have set up anti-poaching camps in awareness, educating people about the animals, whilst the state government has a bout of laws in place exercising zero tolerance to poaching. The local economy benefits too, from this world-famous animal driving tourism, in a symbiotic relationship that outgrows modernity. This has enabled safe space for not just the Rhinos but also other indigenous animals that inhabit the Himalayan foothills. 


A drive down highways that border National Parks like the Kaziranga especially, is guaranteed effortless sighting of these regal beings, grazing in grasslands, egrets perched on backs, sometimes a band of wild water buffaloes with their young, mostly with several deer species – hundreds during winter – the barking deer, deer with antlers, if lucky, even a herd of elephants at a distance, or a rare sighting of the golden langur on the tall leafy trees.


But to catch a glimpse of another rare rendezvous with the Royal Bengal Tiger (only 3000 left in the wild) and other Big Cats – the Leopard and the Black Panther, and a closer look at the One-Horned Rhinos with their young, and Wild Elephants up close, and to have doe-eyed connections with a plethora of deer from the Barasingha to the Sambar, Indian muntjac, Swamp and Hog deer, etc, and to be serenaded by diverse birdlife such that you lose count, and even watch the great Indian Eagle Nest, and experience wildlife coexist in harmonious symmetry - a safari inside the National Park is a must.




several deer, an antler deer and tree one horned rhino and some egrets grazing in a grassland



Why Bring Our Focus Back To Rhinos?


Thus, at a time when the impact of Climate Change and Global Warming is telltale, and environmental challenges rise, these animals, the vulnerable ones especially, are not free from a threat to their existence. For instance, their habitat requires certain climatic conditionality, and with climate change affecting rain patterns, rendering much less rainfall in the region as opposed to the needful, and rising temperatures (2024 recorded a record 40 degrees Celsius in September with very high humidity that makes a 40 feel like 52 C) make it less habitable. Furthermore, the usual causes of habitat loss like encroachment and poaching continue to happen under the radar.


Therefore, bringing the focus back to the One-Horned Rhinoceros is not just the need of the hour but also goes beyond just wildlife conservation, to socio-economic, and environmental repercussions whose impact trickles to the existence of life on earth, fueled by climate change which is both a cause and effect. Their survival is intrinsically tied to ours, as the health of the ecosystems they inhabit and protect affects us all.

“Rhinos share their homes with other valuable plants and animals. When we protect greater one-horned rhinos, we also help protect these other species. These rhinos are also a symbol of national pride in the countries where they are found, which inspires environmental stewardship among local communities. These communities also benefit from the revenue generated through rhino ecotourism – the World Wildlife Fund.”

 


Guardians of Biodiversity -


The Great One-Horned Rhinoceros are megaherbivores – and in grazing and trampling vegetation, they help maintain the structure of grasslands and prevent forests from overtaking critical habitats. This allows for a variety of species, both plant and animal, to thrive, contributing to biodiversity.


This, in turn, provides essential ecosystem services— like clean air, water, fertile soil, and a stable climate. Without biodiversity, ecosystems become fragile, and their ability to support life diminishes. So, when we protect the one-horned rhino, we’re not just saving a species; we’re safeguarding the health and balance of the ecosystems that sustain human life.


Rhinos also contribute to seed dispersal. As they consume large quantities of plants and move across vast areas, they disperse seeds in their dung, promoting plant diversity and forest regeneration.


As a large mammal sensitive to environmental changes, rhinos act as an indicator species. Their presence reflects the overall health of the ecosystem. If rhino populations decline, it often signals broader environmental problems, like habitat degradation or increased poaching pressure.




three one horned rhino grazing


A Sentinel across time and space -


Wildlife tourism, because of the One Horned Rhinoceros's fame, benefits the local economy of Assam, the only region in the country to provide sanctuary to these endangered species, and 80% of the world's One Horned Rhino population. Now since the state's 7 National Parks also host other endangered species like the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian Elephant, Water Buffalo, the Golden Langur, the Hoolock Gibbon, and several other fauna, the Rhino's popularity benefits all, a true sentinel of the wild even in the modern world. This also has attracted major conservation groups from across the world and funding for the same.


The Rhino also holds cultural and symbolic value in certain communities - revered in various mythologies as an emblem of strength and resilience.


In fact, the One-Horned Rhino’s successful conservation example holds true the statement that Nature can be resorted, and our efforts are not in vain. It is an exemplary, hope and reference for other ongoing wildlife and nature conservation efforts like “Save the Tiger” for one. It proves that strong protective measures can restore endangered species.

Thus, by preserving the One-Horned Rhino, we also safeguard the ecological balance, cultural heritage, and biodiversity of the regions they inhabit.


 


A Reminder to Restore Balance and Live in Sync with Nature -


Protecting the one-horned rhinoceros goes beyond saving a single species. It brings back focus equally to other equally vulnerable animals, surprisingly common but on the cusp of being endangered today - such as the Royal Bengal Tiger, Wild Indian Elephants, the Water Buffalo, the Golden Langur, and several species of Deer, diminishing bird life like the Greater Adjutant Stork, etc. 


It draws and caters to the larger picture: that of the need for coexistence between humans and wildlife. The natural world is not something separate from us—it’s the foundation upon which our lives depend. When we lose species like the rhino, we don’t just lose one incredible animal, we create trouble in the intricate web of life that sustains us all. 


a one horned rhino grazing in a grassland


In protecting the one-horned rhinoceros, we protect ourselves. Their survival ensures the health of the ecosystems we rely on. And perhaps most importantly, it offers a reminder that human actions have the power to either destroy or preserve.


The one-horned rhinoceros, like rivers, forests, and oceans, is a crucial part of the Earth's natural systems. It’s time we bring our focus back to them—not out of pity, but out of the understanding that their fate is our own.

 


a one horned rhino grazing in a swamp by a river


For me though, the Rhino goes beyond statistics and data, and has been a happy place, and what homecoming means to me - it's NATURE where I have found solace in ever since young, a clear break from the buzz of civilizational madness, a space of clarity, a first love, and Rhinos were early inspiration in their wise being that laid the seeds of my awakening that leads me closer to nature in search of answers to questions asked, that which has birthed what being an earthling means to me. 



a one horned rhino in the forest



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