Photo: carstenbrandt/Getty
The greater one-horned rhino is making a comeback.
According to officials in India, the number of the once near-extinct animal has reached a new high, hitting 4,014 individuals per the country’s biannual survey.
The specific species of rhino can only be found in India and Nepal. Officials for the Indian state of Assam, which is home to 70 percent of the world’s greater one-horned rhino population, recorded an increase of 274 rhinos in its biannual rhino census, which was delayed because of the pandemic.
Large populations of the greater one-horned rhino were also recorded in other National Parks like Nepal’s Chitwan National Park which counted 694 rhinos as well as Jaldapara National Park in India, tallying 287 rhinos. India’s Orang National Park listed there being 125 rhinos in their care.
“For a species that was once perilously close to extinction, numbering fewer than 100 individuals, this recovery is truly remarkable,” said Nina Fascione, executive director of theInternational Rhino Foundation(IRF) in a release.
Related Video: WATCH: Florida Zoo Animals Take Down a Faux Turkey
IRF names the Indian and Nepalese governments as the main factors behind the growing population mainly due to their efforts to create space for rhinos to breed and prevent poaching deaths.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“The end result of all of these programs is more space for rhinos and more rhino calves being born,” said Fascione.
“The recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is a conservation success story – but the story isn’t over yet,” said Fascione. “The species is still classified as vulnerable and inhabits only a fraction of its former range. IRF appreciates the long-term commitment from the governments of India and Nepal and the dedicated work of the Assam regional government to conserve their treasured rhinos.”
source: people.com
