by restocking and enlarging a park, we restored its natural heritage and brought back the one-horned rhino
by restocking and enlarging a park, we restored its natural heritage and brought back the one-horned rhino
The Greater Manas Landscape safeguards animals, land, and heritage in Assam, India.
Problem
Three decades ago, ethnic conflict reached the state of Assam in India. Manas National Park—the region’s UNESCO World Heritage Site—was under attack. Poaching, deforestation, and fragmentation stripped the land of everything.
More than 100 one-horned rhinoceros—gone. Clouded leopards—in danger. Elephants—declined.
In a matter of years, people had destroyed the plants and animals that made Manas National Park a natural wonder.
Solution
In 2006, IFAW partnered with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Assam Forest Department to create the Greater Manas Landscape and restore keystone species and expand protected land. By partnering with the national government of India and Bhutan, Manas’s protected forest areas doubled.
By inspiring local children through dedicated campaigns, a new generation is learning to value the earth. By promoting green lifestyles and livelihoods, communities on the fringes of Manas continue to preserve their home for years to come.
Impact
Twenty years ago, fewer than 200 greater one-horned rhinos remained worldwide. We helped restore the population.
None of this would have been possible without the restoration and restocking of the entire Manas Landscape – an effort that brought back its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
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