Rhinoceroses are herbivores. Each day, one rhino eats around 150 kg of grasses, twigs, branches and aquatic plants. But their diet also includes fruits, the seeds of which rhinos spread over great distances in their dung – which is also an ideal fertiliser for the plants’ growth. Rhinoceroses therefore unwittingly act as gardeners, contributing to the propagation of their habitat’s vegetation. Juicy elephant grass is one of the favourite foods of Indian rhinos. It grows on river banks, where the animals can often be found happily grazing, up to their tummies in the water.

In the wild, Greater one-horned rhinoceroses are found exclusively in India and Nepal. They continue to suffer from the loss of suitable habitat as well as the ongoing threat of poaching. The encroachment of agricultural spaces and human settlements meant that the population of these gentle giants had already fallen to just 200 by the beginning of the 19th century. Numbers have recovered somewhat in recent years thanks to nationally implemented measures like the establishment of protected areas. 

However, Zoo and Tierpark Berlin are also supporting the conservation of the Greater one-horned rhino in the wild. The state of Assam in northeastern India is home to around 70 percent of the world’s Greater one-horned rhino population. Berlin’s zoos are working with the Leibniz Institute for Zoological and Wildlife Research (IZW) and local project partner Aaranyak to promote research on Greater one-horned rhinoceroses in Manas National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

Collecting scientific data on the Greater one-horned rhinoceros population is important for the development of further protective measures. By recording the rhinos’ biological characteristics, scientists can understand more about how the animals live. A database on the rhinos living in Aaranyak’s research areas is being continually expanded with new findings. The results of the study will enable experts to derive effective conservation action for this rhino population and others.