GUWAHATI: Assam's sustained efforts to protect the greater one-horned rhinoceros are contributing significantly to one of the most notable wildlife conservation recoveries in the world, with the species' estimated global population now reaching 4,075 individuals.
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The figures were shared by Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah in a social media post on Saturday, in which he described the milestone as the "Positive Headline of the Day."
According to the minister, the global population of the species has climbed to an estimated 4,075, compared with fewer than 100 animals in the early 1900s. India is home to 3,323 of these rhinos, while Nepal has around 752, the only two countries where the species survives in the wild.
With Assam holding nearly 80 per cent of the world's greater one-horned rhino population, the minister noted that the recovery carries special significance for the state. Kaziranga National Park alone is home to more than 2,600 rhinos, while Manas National Park supports an estimated 40 to 50 animals.
Baruah also highlighted a major conservation achievement: Assam recorded zero known rhino-poaching cases in 2025, only the second time since the 1970s that the state has reached this milestone. He credited the progress to strengthened protection, field-level enforcement and sustained conservation action.
"The recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is more than a conservation statistic," the minister said. "It is a powerful reminder that determined protection, scientific management and community support can bring endangered wildlife back from the brink."
The minister added that every protected rhino in Assam represents a living symbol of the state's forests, wetlands and biodiversity, and reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that this conservation success continues for future generations.