ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF GREAT INDIAN ONE-HORNED RHINO (Rhinoceros unicornis) IN POBITORA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, ASSAM, INDIA A Thesis submitted to the Gauhati University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology in the Faculty of Science Submitted by Ramesh Bhatta 2011 ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF GREAT INDIAN ONE-HORNED RHINO (Rhinoceros unicornis) IN POBITORA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, ASSAM, INDIA By Ramesh Bhatta 2011 Guided by Dr. P. K. Saikia Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary, Assam, India. 2 Dr, P. K. Saikia, M. Sc., Ph. D. (G.U), Post Doc. (UK, USA), Commonwealth fellow, Associate Professor, Department of Zoology Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology Laboratory Gauahati University, Gauhati-781014 Assam, India. This is to certify that Mr. Ramesh Bhatta has carried out this research work entitled “Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India” under my guidance and supervision which is being submitted to Gauhati University, for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This thesis is the result of his investigation on the subject. He has fulfilled all the requirements under Ph. D. regulation of Gauhati University. This thesis or any part of it has not been submitted by the candidate to any other University for any other degree. Place: Guwahati University Date: ……………………… (Prasanta Kumar Saikia) Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary, Assam, India. 3 Mr. Ramesh Bhatta (Research Fellow) Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology Lab. Department of Zoology Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam-781014 DECLARATION I hereby declare that, this thesis is the result of my own research work, which has been carried out under guidance and supervision of Dr. Prasanta Kumar Saikia, Associate Professor, Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology Lab., Department of Zoology, Gauhati University. I would also like to declare that, neither the thesis nor any part of thereof was submitted to any other university / institution for any Degree or Diploma (RAMESH BHATTA) Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary, Assam, India. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all the organizations and individuals without whose support and advice this study could not have been completed in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. At the outset I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Prasanta Kumar Saikia, Associate Professor, Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University for his active guidance starting from the planning of the study to the finalization of the manuscript. I shall be ever grateful to him. I offer my sincere thanks to Dr. R. K. Bhola, Professor and Head of the Department Zoology, for his kind suggestion and necessary action during the study. I would also like to Thank Dr. U.C. Goswami, Dr. D. K. Sarma, Dr. M. Goswami, Dr. A. Dutta, Dr. A. Borkotoki, Dr. K. Dutta, Dr. J. Kalita, Dr. J. C. Kalita and other faculties of the department for their kind suggestion and encouragement during each step of the study. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Dr. P. C. Bhattacharjee, former faculty of the department for his valuable suggestion and encouragement during every step of my work. I would like to thank Dr. Gajen Sarma, Mr. Kumud Chandra Sarma and Mr. Khagendra Kumar Nath, Department of Botany and Dr. P. J. Bora, WWF- India for their kind help in the identification of different plant species during the study. Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary, Assam, India. 5 My sincere thank to Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Assam for their necessary permission and overall support to conduct the study especially to Mr. M. C. Malakar & Mr. D.M. Singh (PCCF, Wildlife), & Mr. B. S. Bonal (CCF Wildlife). I offer my sincere thanks to all forest officials offering necessary guidance and support in conducting the study. Most sincere thanks to the front line staff of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary without whom this would never have been possible. Special thanks to Mr. A.C. Das (IFS), DFO Nagaon Wildlife Division, Mr. Surajit Dutta (IFS) former Divisional forest officer Guwahati Wildlife Division, Mr. S. K.Seal Sarma (AFS), DFO Guwahati Wildlife Division, Mr. Ramen Das former Range Officer Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Mr. Mukul Tamuli, Range officer Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary for their kind cooperation during the study. I am also thankful to all the line Departments of the District administration functioning in the area and extending necessary cooperation. I am very much indebted for the valuable support and approval of WWF- India to continue my research work after being inducted as Programme Officer to one of their programme. I also offer my heartiest thanks to all the members of WWF- India team who directly or indirectly help me during my study. My sincere thanks to Lt. Thomas J. Foose, International Rhino Foundation who had encourage me a lot in the beginning of the study and assured me all the support. I would like to thank Dr. A. Christy William, Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy, WWF international and Mr. Tariq Aziz team leader leaving Himalaya Network Initiatives, WWF International for their technical suggestion and support. Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary, Assam, India. 6 I am thankful to Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Derhadun because of their approval to use their valued Library and hostel for review of literature that required for the study. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Dr. A.U. Choudhury, Rhino Foundation-Northeast; Dr. Bibhab Kr. Talukder, Aaranyak; Dr. Dilip Chetri, Primate Research Center and Dr. Budhin Chandra Hazarika, Department of Zoology, Mongaldoi College and Dr. Malobika Kakoti Saikia for their kind guidance and inspiration for making the study more conservation oriented. My heartiest thanks to Mr. Nripen Nath, Pobitora Conservation Society; Mr. Bijoyananda Chowdhury, Human Elephant Learning Programme (HELP); Lasit Karmi Bahini Diprang, Mayang College and all other organizations functioning in the area that has helped me during my study. I also take this opportunity to thank the conservation community of North East and the people of the fringe villages of Pobitora WLS in particular who have provided all help and assistance during the field activities. I extend my thanks to my wife, Mrs. Mauchumi Sarma for her valuable time during language and spelling checking to finalize the manuscript. Last but not least I thank my brothers and parent for their encouragement and help during field trips and manuscript writing, without their cooperation the study would never had been possible. (RAMESH BHATTA) Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary, Assam, India. 7 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................... 5 Chapter-I: CONTEXT AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ....................................... 12 1.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 18 1.2 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................... 19 1.2.1 EVOLUTION OF RHINOS ............................................................................... 19 1.2.2 LIVING RHINOS IN THE WORLD.................................................................... 20 1.2.3 ECOLOGY, BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF INDIAN RHINO ................ 25 1.3 PRESENT CONTEXT OF STUDY ............................................................... 28 1.4 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................... 29 Chapter-II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................. 30 2.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................... 30 2.2 HISTORICAL RECORDS ON INDIAN RHINO ............................................. 31 2.3 ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR ..................................................................... 33 2.4 CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ..................................................... 35 2.5 RECENT STUDIES IN ASSAM .................................................................... 36 Chapter-III: STUDY AREA AND GENERAL METHODS ....................................... 38 3.1 POBITORA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY .......................................................... 38 3.1.1 LOCATION AND HISTORY ............................................................................. 38 3.1.2 GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY ............................................................................ 40 3.1.3 THE CLIMATE ................................................................................................. 41 3.1.4 FLORA, FAUNA & PEOPLE ............................................................................ 41 3.1.5 CURRENT INFLUENCE OF MAN AND ADAPTATION OF INDIAN RHINO .... 44 3.2 GENERAL METHODS ................................................................................. 45 Ecology and Conservation of Great Indian One-Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctyary,