The Pride of Assam, Rhinoceros

It was really a thrilling experience to see a one horned Rhinoceros, the pride of Assam, from a close distance at Helem in Biswanath district today. I had seen it either in zoo or in cinema but the firsthand experience of watching it live in my native place is somewhat beyond explanation. Every year Kaziranga, the national park is inundated by floods during monsoon and wild animals including rhinos move to highland areas for food and shelter. Sometimes, the onlookers make hue and cry to irritate the animal. Sometimes, poachers take advantage of this situation and kill it for its horn. It is the duty of the Forest Department as well as the citizens to protect such animals from poachers.