India's Rhino Conservation Success: Assam Records Zero Poachings in 2025

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Assam's commitment to rhino conservation has paid off, with the state recording zero poaching incidents in 2025, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the state's efforts to protect its prized one-horned rhinos, which are found in large numbers in Kaziranga National Park, Manas, Orang National Park, and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. The state's conservation efforts, including Operation Falcon, a multi-agency crackdown launched in response to poaching attempts in 2023 and 2024, have been instrumental in preventing rhino deaths. Between 2000 and 2021, 191 rhinos were poached in Assam, with the worst years being 2013 and 2014, when 27 rhinos were killed each year. However, incidents declined steadily thereafter. The state's Special Anti-Poaching Task Force, formed in 2021, has been crucial in preventing poaching. The force has implemented measures such as intelligence sharing, coordinated patrolling, and surveillance using drones and CCTV cameras. Local communities living around protected areas have also cooperated with the authorities to prevent poaching. In a symbolic move against illegal wildlife trade and superstition linked to rhino horns, the Assam government destroyed nearly 2,500 rhino horns seized by the authorities in 2021. Rhinos are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and international trade in rhino horns is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The success of Assam's conservation efforts is a testament to the state's commitment to protecting its wildlife and the ecosystem. The achievement is also a significant step towards ensuring the safety of the world's largest population of one-horned rhinos.