Guwahati:
The rhino census in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam concluded today with the officials expecting rise in the number of the animals.
The census, which began yesterday, concluded in all the ranges but bad weather hampered the process with many of the survey teams yet to return, Park Director S Baruah said.
"The exact number of rhinos is yet to be ascertained but there has definitely been an increase with several mother and calf pairs sighted in all the ranges," Chief Conservator of Forest S P Singh said.
The census was conducted in all the ranges- Kohora, Bagori, Agaratoli and Burhapahar with the park closed for tourists since Friday. It is scheduled to reopen tomorrow.
Nearly 200 people, including a group of trained forest officials, representatives of non-government officials and local villagers along with 34 elephants were involved in the exercise.
Kaziranga, a world heritage site, is home to the famed one-horn rhino and according to the last 2009 census there were 2,048 rhinos in the park.
The census in the Park is held every three years with the first being in 1966.
A rhino census was also recently conducted at the two other habitats - Pobitara wildlife sanctuary and Rajiv Gandhi National Park at Orang where 93 and 100 were counted respectively.