Hope for the Indian rhino

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/47481

From: Jeremy Hance, MONGABAY.COM, More from this Affiliate
Published June 12, 2014 09:02 AM

The world's stronghold for Indian rhinos—the state of Assam—has seen its population leap by 27 percent since 2006, despite a worsening epidemic of poaching that has also seen 156 rhinos killed during the same period. According to a new white paper, the population of Indian rhinos in Assam hit 2,544 this year up from a nadir of around 200 animals in the early 1900s.

Indian rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis), like their African relatives, are facing a recent upsurge in poaching for their horn, which is ground up and consumed as a curative in East Asia. Even as there is no evidence that rhino horn has any medicinal benefits, some people in countries like Vietnam and China view consuming illegal rhino horn as a status symbol.

This year, 18 rhinos have been killed in Assam by poachers, but the government has defended its actions in combatting rhino poaching.

FULL story at link.