From a near-collapse in the twentieth century to a population of 392 in the latest state-wide census, West Bengal’s greater one-horned rhinoceros represents one of eastern India’s most remarkable wildlife conservation stories.

As of September 2026, the latest publicly reported rhinoceros population estimate for West Bengal comes from the state’s March 5–6, 2025 census. The survey estimated 392 greater one-horned rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros unicornis) in the state, with an average of 331 in Jaldapara National Park and 61 in Gorumara National Park. The census covered Jaldapara, Gorumara, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and portions of the Jalpaiguri Reserve Forests across approximately 396 square kilometres. More than 600 forest personnel participated, with reports recording 631 forest staff, 85 trained “kunki” elephants and the involvement of 15 NGOs and civil-society groups. The 392 figure represents a dramatic increase from the 229 rhinos recorded in 2013, amounting to roughly 71 percent growth over twelve years. (Akashvani News)

The Rhino of the Northern Plains

The greater one-horned rhinoceros, commonly called the Indian rhinoceros, is one of the largest land mammals in Asia. Its scientific name is Rhinoceros unicornis, and unlike the two-horned rhinoceroses of Africa, it possesses a single horn. Its characteristic folds of thick skin create the appearance of natural armour, while its massive body is adapted to a landscape of riverine grasslands, wetlands, swamps and adjoining forests. The species is predominantly a grazer, feeding heavily on grasses while also consuming leaves, aquatic vegetation, shrubs and fruit. Although it has a formidable appearance, the greater one-horned rhino is generally solitary, with mothers remaining with their calves for an extended period. (Animal Diversity Web)

The historical range of the greater one-horned rhinoceros was once vastly larger than it is today. It formerly occurred across much of the floodplains of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems, extending across what are now parts of Pakistan, northern India, Nepal and towards present-day Myanmar. Hunting, agricultural expansion, habitat conversion and later commercial poaching reduced this enormous range to a small number of isolated populations. India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notes that the species is now found in the wild in only Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, while Nepal retains additional populations. (Ministry of Education)

Jaldapara: Bengal’s Rhino Stronghold

Among West Bengal’s protected areas, Jaldapara National Park is the principal stronghold of the state’s rhinoceros population. Located in the eastern Himalayan foothills of Alipurduar district and shaped by the Torsa and other rivers, Jaldapara consists of a distinctive mosaic of tall grasslands, riverbanks, streams and patches of forest. The West Bengal Tourism Department records that the area was declared a sanctuary in 1941 specifically to protect its wildlife, particularly the one-horned rhinoceros. It was subsequently designated as a National Park through a notification dated 14 May 2012; the Government of India’s tourism compendium records the notified National Park area at approximately 216.35 square kilometres. (WB Tourism)

The history of Jaldapara also reveals how precarious the species’ survival once was. Historical research records that rhino numbers in the sanctuary had fallen severely during the first half of the twentieth century, with one study suggesting that the population may have declined to only 40–50 animals around 1932. Later, according to figures cited from West Bengal Forest Department records, Jaldapara had around 75 rhinos in 1969, but that number collapsed to only 14 by 1986. The decline demonstrated that simply declaring protected areas was not enough: effective protection, intelligence gathering, habitat management and cooperation with people living around the forest were essential. (Brill)

The 2025 census shows how far Jaldapara has travelled since that low point. The population was estimated at 331 rhinos, compared with 292 in 2022, 237 in 2019, 204 in 2015 and 186 in 2013. The 2025 estimate placed Jaldapara’s population within a range of 327–334 individuals. Approximately 70–72 percent were adults, 8–9 percent sub-adults and 19–21 percent calves, while the sex ratio among identifiable animals was about 1.1 females for every male. The substantial proportion of calves is particularly relevant to understanding the continuing reproductive capacity of the population. (The Times of India)

Gorumara: The Smaller Population with a Long History

Around the rivers Murti and Raidak lies Gorumara National Park, another important rhinoceros habitat in the Dooars. West Bengal Tourism describes Gorumara as a landscape of forest and grassland at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, with the one-horned rhinoceros among its characteristic animals. Its conservation history is older than its present national-park identity: the area was designated a Reserve Forest in 1895, became a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1949, and was eventually declared a National Park in 1994. The sanctuary designation was closely connected with the protection of its breeding population of one-horned rhinoceroses. (WB Tourism)

Gorumara’s population is considerably smaller than Jaldapara’s, but its trajectory has also been positive. The 2025 census estimated an average of 61 rhinos, within a range of 58–63, compared with 55 in 2022, 52 in 2019, 49 in 2015 and 43 in 2013. The age structure recorded in 2025 consisted of approximately 60–62 percent adults, 10–12 percent sub-adults and 26–28 percent calves. The identifiable sex ratio was around 1.6 females per male. Together, the figures demonstrate that Gorumara remains an important breeding population even though its scale is much smaller than Jaldapara’s. (The Times of India)

From Crisis to Recovery

The recovery of Bengal’s rhinos did not happen because of a single project. It developed through several decades of increasingly sophisticated wildlife protection. One of the earliest major legal steps was the Bengal Rhinoceros Preservation Act of 1932, followed by the creation of the Jaldapara Game Sanctuary in 1941 and the Gorumara Wildlife Sanctuary in 1949. Later expansion and upgrading of protected areas, better field protection, trained personnel, watchtowers, intelligence networks and improved monitoring helped establish a stronger conservation system. At the national level, the Government of India launched the National Conservation Strategy for the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in February 2019, with objectives including strengthening existing conservation, restoring rhinos within parts of their former range and improving scientific management and cooperation. (Rhino Resource Center)

Legal protection has also been fundamental. The rhinoceros is listed under Schedule I of India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, placing it among the species receiving the country’s highest level of statutory wildlife protection. The Act provides the legal framework for protection against hunting and other forms of wildlife crime, complementing protected-area management and anti-poaching operations. (India Code)

One of the most significant lessons from Jaldapara is the importance of bringing communities into conservation rather than treating surrounding villages as separate from the protected landscape. During the severe population crisis, forest authorities developed Eco-Development Committees involving residents of fringe villages. These community networks contributed to forest patrolling and information gathering on potential poachers. Subsequent conservation programmes also promoted alternative livelihood opportunities and eco-development activities so that local households could gain legitimate economic benefits without depending excessively on forest resources. (The Indian Express)

When Conservation Benefits People Too

Research on conservation in West Bengal has repeatedly identified the relationship between forest officials and local residents as one of the important elements behind the rhino recovery. Eco-development programmes around Jaldapara and Gorumara have included local employment, tourism-related enterprises, handicrafts and alternative livelihood activities. Studies have also documented mechanisms through which tourism revenue could benefit fringe communities, creating an economic connection between the survival of wildlife and the well-being of people living beside protected areas. In this model, a rhino is no longer viewed only as an animal living behind a forest boundary; it becomes part of a wider local conservation economy. (Cambridge University Press)

The community role is especially important in landscapes where protected areas are surrounded by human settlements. A 2026 Government of India notification concerning the Jaldapara National Park notes that the park has dense human populations along its southern and western sides, while also highlighting the area’s importance for elephants and rhinos. Such proximity inevitably makes conservation a landscape-level issue. The survival of the rhinoceros therefore depends not only on what happens inside the legally protected area but also on how agriculture, roads, settlements, tourism, water systems and wildlife movement are managed around it. (India Code)

The Threat Beneath the Success

The rise to 392 animals is significant, but population growth does not mean that the conservation problem has been solved. The greater one-horned rhinoceros remains classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. WWF identifies habitat loss and degradation and illegal hunting for the horn as major threats, while also drawing attention to habitat fragmentation, genetic isolation, disease risks, changing water availability and the effects of climate change. The species’ present distribution is also highly concentrated: although numbers have recovered to around 4,000 globally in India and Nepal, a large proportion of the population remains concentrated in relatively few protected landscapes. (World Wildlife Fund)

Habitat loss is particularly important because the rhinoceros depends heavily on productive riverine grasslands and wetlands. These landscapes are not static. Without appropriate management, grasslands can be invaded by undesirable plants or undergo natural succession towards woodland, reducing the open grazing habitat required by rhinos. Alterations in river flows and water availability can also change the quality of wetlands and wallowing sites. Conservation therefore requires more than preserving a forest boundary; it requires maintaining the ecological processes that keep grasslands and wetlands functioning. (WWF India)

Poaching remains an international conservation concern because rhinoceros horn has long been targeted by illegal wildlife markets. The horn, however, is composed primarily of keratin, the same structural protein found in human hair and nails, and there is no scientific evidence supporting the medicinal claims historically associated with it. International restrictions on the trade in rhino horn have been in place for decades, yet illegal demand continues to create incentives for wildlife crime. Strong intelligence networks, field patrols, technology, rapid investigation and cooperation among agencies therefore remain essential even in regions such as Bengal where populations have increased substantially. (World Wildlife Fund)

A New Challenge: Finding Space for a Growing Population

Ironically, conservation success creates a new problem. As rhino numbers increase within limited protected areas, the question becomes whether the available habitat can continue to support a growing population without reducing habitat quality or increasing encounters with surrounding communities. In March 2025, following the latest census, the West Bengal Forest Department said it was looking for additional suitable habitat in North Bengal where rhinos could move freely in an appropriate environment. The search for new habitat is therefore becoming part of the next phase of Bengal’s rhino conservation strategy. (ThePrint)

This is consistent with the wider national conservation approach, which emphasises strengthening existing populations while restoring rhinos to parts of their historical range. Expanding or connecting suitable habitat can reduce excessive concentration in individual protected areas, create additional breeding opportunities and improve the resilience of the species against disease outbreaks, extreme weather events and other local catastrophes. However, any expansion must be based on ecological suitability, habitat security, social considerations and long-term monitoring rather than simply increasing the geographical area available to animals. (Ministry of Education)

Why the Rhino Matters Beyond the Rhino

The greater one-horned rhinoceros is important not merely because it is rare or visually impressive, but because it is a megaherbivore and an ecological engineer. By grazing on grasses and moving through wetlands and riverine habitats, rhinos influence vegetation structure and help maintain open grassland environments. Their movement, feeding and wallowing contribute to the physical and biological character of these ecosystems, while their dung also helps disperse plant seeds. Protecting a rhino habitat therefore protects an entire ecological community of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and other mammals that depend on functioning grassland and wetland systems. (World Wildlife Fund)

The Bengal rhino also carries an important cultural and economic value. Jaldapara and Gorumara have become major wildlife destinations, drawing visitors who come specifically to experience the grasslands and the possibility of seeing a rhinoceros in its natural environment. Conservation research in West Bengal has noted that the species is recognised locally as part of the state’s natural heritage, while eco-tourism and associated employment can generate economic benefits for communities surrounding protected areas. Thus, the survival of the rhinoceros connects biodiversity protection with tourism, local livelihoods, landscape management and regional identity. (Cambridge University Press)

The Road Ahead

West Bengal’s rhinoceros story is ultimately a story of recovery, but also of responsibility. From the severe decline that left Jaldapara with only a tiny remnant population in the 1980s to the 331 rhinos recorded there in 2025, and from 43 rhinos in Gorumara in 2013 to 61 in 2025, the trajectory demonstrates what sustained protection, habitat management, scientific monitoring, anti-poaching work and community participation can achieve. The state’s combined population of 392 rhinos is a major conservation milestone, yet the future will depend on preserving and restoring grasslands, maintaining wetlands and river systems, preventing habitat fragmentation, reducing wildlife crime and ensuring that people living around these protected landscapes remain active partners in conservation. (Rhino Resource Center)

The greater one-horned rhinoceros once occupied a vast portion of the northern Indian subcontinent; today, every surviving population represents a fragment of that lost range. In West Bengal, Jaldapara and Gorumara have helped turn that story from one of disappearance into one of recovery. Their rhinos are more than survivors of a threatened species: they are living indicators of the health of the Dooars grasslands, wetlands and riverine forests. The continuing challenge is to ensure that the remarkable growth recorded in the latest census does not become the end of the story, but the foundation for a larger, safer and more connected future for the one-horned rhinoceros in Bengal. (Ministry of Education)