The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros or the Asian One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is a large mammal primarily found in north-eastern India and Nepal. It is confined to the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The Indian Rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain but excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically. Today, about 3,000 Indian Rhinos live in the wild, 2006 of which are found in India's Assam alone.The Indian Rhinoceros can run at speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph) for short periods of time and is also an excellent swimmer. It has excellent senses of hearing and smell, but relatively poor eyesight.
It's size is about the same of White Rhino and they are one of the largest species of rhino alive.
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In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the Indian Rhinoceros was hunted relentlessly and persistently. Reports from the middle of the nineteenth century claim that some military officers in Assam individually shot more than 200 rhinos. In the early 1900s, officials became concerned at the rhino's plummeting numbers. By 1908 in Kaziranga, one of the rhino's main ranges, the population had fallen to around 12 individuals. In 1910, all rhino hunting in India became prohibited.
This rhino is a major success of conservation. Only 100 remained in the early 1900s; a century later, their population has increased to about 2500 again, but even so the species is still endangered. The Indian rhino is illegally poached for its horn, which some cultures in East Asia believe has healing and potency powers and therefore is used for Traditional Chinese Medicine and other Oriental medicines. Habitat loss is another threat.
