Where does the Indian rhinoceros live?
The Indian rhinoceros lives on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, in 12 protected areas of northern India and southern Nepal. It inhabits the alluvial grasslands of the Terai and the Brahmaputra basin. It once ranged across the whole north of the Indian subcontinent. Because of habitat destruction, its range has shrunk, and its population is now fragmented over less than 20,000 km².
What does the Indian rhinoceros eat?
It is a grazer: it eats mainly grass, but also twigs, leaves, branches, shrubs, flowers, fruits and aquatic plants. It is largely solitary and only associates in the breeding season and when rearing calves. It carries a single horn on its snout, which can grow 57.2 to 61.6 cm long. Its thick grey-brown skin has pinkish folds.
Is the Indian rhinoceros endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. Hunting and the spread of agriculture caused its population to collapse, down to only 100 to 200 animals in the early 20th century. Protected since 1910, it has grown: about 2,500 individuals in 2006 and 2,700 in 2010.
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