Minister unaware of rhino census

11 January 2012
statesman news service
SILIGURI, 11 JAN: The state forest minister is still in the dark about
the fact that his department will initiate Rhino Census under Wildlife
Division-II in north Bengal.
Forest officials have already informed the officials
concerned,including animal lovers’ organisations, that the department
would start a census exercise of rhino at Garumara National Park from
March 2012.
The forest minister, Mr Hiten Barman, said: “I do not have any
information regarding rhino census in north Bengal. No body has
intimated me about the project. I would ask the departmental officials
about the census and accordingly arrangements would be made to conduct
the census.”
According to forest officials, the department had conducted rhino
census in Garumara National park in 2010 and after two years, a
routine census would be conducted to know the exact population of
rhino. In 2010 the total number of single horn rhinos was 36 in
Garumara.
A senior forest official said the rhino census was conducted in
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in 2011 and the next census would be
conducted in 2013. In 2011 the total number of single horn rhino at
Jaldapara was 155.
Mr Barman said he had a detailed census report on elephant population
in north Bengal. “But I need to get detail information about the
present number of rhinos,” he added.