One corner rhino near the water hole in Pibitor Wildlife Sanctare in the district of Mirogaong in Assam. File | Photo Credit: Hind
Guwahati:
The specialized team began a genetic analysis of samples taken from 2,573 rhinos, most of which were destroyed by the Assam Forest division four years ago.
The team, which announced the main guards of the state of the state, verified and segregated stored samples in Kaziranga from 3 to 8 July and overwhelmed them into small bottles to be transported to the Genetic Laboratory in Dehradun’s Wildlife Institute of India (Wii) for DNA analysis.
A total of 2,623 corners of rhinos stored in various cash registers in Assam were verified and reconciled for mass destruction. With the exception of those with a certain form of uniqueness and those involved in judicial cases, 22 September 2021 were sent 2,479 corners.
During the reconciliation process according to the set protocol, small samples have been preserved from the corners to perform genetic and chemical studies, which are expected to help better control the current rhino population. With the exception of 50 corners involved in legal battles, the samples were taken from 2,573 corners.
“The whole technical process of repackaging was recorded and observed by independent experts,” the forest clerk said.
The Wii genetic laboratory is the central point of the Indian Rhodis program (Rhino DNA index) under the supervision of Samrat Mondol. The aim of this analysis is to document individual DNA Rhino Horn profiles and add them to the Rhodis India DNA Library.
“Another analysis will help determine whether there have been changes in short tandem repetition (a specific type of DNA sequence) over the years since the storage of corners from different parts of Assam,” the official said.
The Rhodis India analysis protocol, approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change, will be followed to create DNA profiles from these samples.
The Rhodis India program started in 2016 as a cooperation between the Ministry of the Environment, Indian Rhinos, Rhinos, Wii and the World Nature-India Fund. The program seeks scientifically to improve crime investigation and provide technical support to scientific management of the Indian rhino population.
Published – 11 July 2025 9:14 IS IS
