Poaching, has mainly led the One-Horned RHINOCEROS in Assam to its extinction, for the use of the horn in traditional medicine, has remained a constant and has led to decreases in several important populations. Apart from this, serious declines in quality of habitat have occurred in some areas, due to:
- severe invasion into grasslands affecting some populations;
- demonstrated reductions in the extent of grasslands and wetland habitats due to woodland encroachment and silting up of beels;
- grazing by domestic livestock.[2]
The species is inherently at risk because over 70% of its population occurs at a single site, Kaziranga National Park. Any catastrophic event such as disease, civil disorder, poaching, or habitat loss would have a devastating impact on the Indian rhino's status. However, small population of rhinos may be prone to inbreeding depression.
These are some methods of killing rhinos have been recorded:
- Shooting is by far the most common method used.
- Trapping in a pit depends largely on the terrain and availability of grass to cover it; pits are dug out in such a way that a fallen animal has little room to manoeuvre with its head slightly above the pit, so that it is easy to saw off the horn.
- Electrocution is used where high voltage powerlines pass through or near a protected area, to which poachers hook a long, insulated rod connected to a wire, which is suspended above a rhino path.
- Poisoning by smearing zinc phosphide rat poison or pesticides on salt licks frequently used by rhinos is sometimes used.
- A noose, which cuts through the rhino's skin, kills it by strangulation.
