Rhinos have returned to Laokhowa and Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries of Assam, 40 years after the population of pachyderms in the area was wiped out due to poaching, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.?

These protected areas had also witnessed human encroachment over the years, which was cleared by the authorities last year, a forest official said. "Happy to share that after 40 years our iconic Rhinos have returned to Laokhowa and Burachapori. They have returned within 1 year of our successful anti-encroachment operation in the region," Sarma wrote on X.

A total of 51.7 sq km of forest cover has been retrieved through eviction drives in 2023, he said on Friday.?Kaziranga National Park (KNP) Director Sonali Ghosh said two rhinos have been spotted in the Laokhowa-Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries, which are part of 'Greater Kaziranga', after almost a gap of 40 years.?She said the Laokhowa-Burachapori forest in Nagaon district had a population of 45-50 rhinos till 1983.

"They were poached and after that, there was degradation of grassland habitat due to anthropogenic pressure. Stray rhinos from the north bank (Orang National Park) and eastern side (Kaziranga) were known to enter through the Brahmaputra chapori areas but never stayed for long," she said. Ghosh said rhinos have been "sighted in the first addition of Burachapori and Laokhowa wildlife sanctuaries since last November".?

Both the rhinos have entered probably "through the second addition of Orang National Park and the recently restored (evicted areas) of Arimari", she said.?Other than rhinos, the protected area also has 10 tigers.

The eviction drive was carried out from February 13 to 15 last year, which led to a clearing of 1,282 hectares of forest land and 817 hectares of unsurveyed government land. Ghosh said 75 frontline positions, including that of deputy ranger, have been filled up in the area, reaffirming the government's commitment to strengthen the landscape and restore the lost glory of the forest.