The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the flood plains of the river Brahmaputra and the Kolong covering parts if the the Morigaon and the Kamrup districts of Assam, India. It is the habitat of the second largest population of the Great Indian One Horned Rhino and supports the highest density of this rare and endangered animal. The sanctuary is hemmed by thickly populated villages all around and is considerably impacted by human activities so much so that the survival of the rhinos and the protection and the conservation of the rhino habitats depend to a great extent on the activities and cooperation of the fringe villagers. Poaching is the greatest threat to the rhinos because of the very high value of the rhino horn in the illegal wildlife trade. Most incidents of poaching take place while the rhinos are on the move from or to the sanctuary and during their brief sojourn outside seeking food crops in the farmlands of the nearby villages. Crop raiding by the rhinos in the fringe villages has also resulted in rise of man-animal conflicts in the area.

This project has located, studied and mapped the corridors used by the rhinos of the sanctuary to move out of the precincts of the sanctuary to find food and suitable habitats elsewhere in nearby areas. An exhaustive socio-economic survey and ecological reconnaissance have been carried out in the fringe areas of the sanctuary along with massive awareness campaign to enthuse and equip the local communities to protect and conserve the rhinos while they are outside the sanctuary on temporary migration. A strategic conservation and management plan to ensure protection of the rhino population based on ground realities has been drafted incorporating results and observations form the study and perceptions of the stake holder villagers.

Identification and mapping of such corridors (which is the main objective of this project) will help the forest authorities and local people in properly monitoring and protecting the rhinos during migration