The Indian one-horned rhinoceros migrated to Northeast India from its historical habitats in the western and northern parts of the country during the late Holocene period, as indicated by a new study focused on Kaziranga National Park. This research, which explores the palaeoecological and palaeoherbivory history of the region, reveals that the combination of climate change and escalating human activity prompted large herbivores to seek more suitable environments, pushing them eastward into Northeast India, which provided stable climatic conditions and abundant resources during that epoch.
The Holocene epoch, the most recent geological period spanning approximately the last 4,000–5,000 years, saw one-horned rhinos once widely distributed across northern India, extending through the Himalayan foothills into regions of modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. Approximately 3,200 to 3,300 years ago, the Kaziranga area transitioned into a grassland-dominated ecosystem, favorable for mega-herbivores like the rhinoceros. However, significant ecological transformations began around 1,700 years ago, marked by a reduction in grasslands and the proliferation of deciduous forests.
Conducted under the leadership of Dr. Sadan Kumar Basumatary, the study comprised contributions from various national and international institutions, including the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, the University of Lucknow, and Newcastle University in the UK, among others. Their findings, published in the international journal CATENA, point to current environmental threats such as the invasion of species like Mimosa, which could jeopardize Kaziranga’s fragile ecosystem and the long-term survival of the one-horned rhinoceros.
Experts emphasize that this study offers valuable insights into long-term ecological changes and may serve to enhance conservation strategies for Kaziranga National Park, which holds the designation of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
