SUCCESS AT MANAS NATIONAL PARK IN ASSAM, INDIA

By the early 2000s, civil unrest and rampant poaching had completely wiped out the Greater One-horned Rhino population in India’s Manas National Park. The species was gone from the landscape, and the reserve was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage in Danger list.

Today, Manas stands as one of global conservation’s most extraordinary success stories: from zero rhinos in 2002 to a thriving population of 54 in the Manas Landscape.

THE KEY DRIVERS OF THE MANAS RECOVERY:

• Community-Led Transformation: In 2003, local Boro community members formed the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES) to lead protection efforts. Crucially, they persuaded former poachers to lay down their weapons and use their intimate tracking knowledge to become full-time “protection volunteers.”

• Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020): A coordinated initiative by the Assam Government, the Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF, and IFAW translocated rhinos from high-density parks like Kaziranga and Pobitora into Manas starting in 2008, rebuilding the herd from the ground up.

• Ecotourism as a Lifeline: By launching eco-camps and community-based tourism, local residents found sustainable livelihoods in hospitality and guided tracking rather than illegal hunting.

• Global Species Impact: The recovery in Manas helped push the global population of Greater One-horned Rhinos past 4,000 individuals—a monumental milestone for a species once on the brink of extinction.

WHY LOCAL COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP IS THE FUTURE OF CONSERVATION

The revival of Manas proves that long-term wildlife protection cannot be achieved through fences and enforcement alone. When local communities—and even former poachers—are given an economic stake, dignity, and active leadership roles in safeguarding their natural heritage, entire ecosystems can recover.