A rhino at a wetland in Kaziranga. Image - Chandan Kumar Duarah

Guwahati: The Assam Forest department on Saturday started a three-day census of the one-horned rhinos at the Kaziranga National Park.

The census is the 14th of its kind and will continue till March 28.

The park has been closed for tourists during this period.

While morning elephant safari rides have been suspended from March 26 to 28, jeep safaris rides have been continued in a phased manner so as not to hamper the rhino census.

The census has been conducted in 48 compartments within the premises of the national park.

A total of 63 specialists have arrived at Kaziranga National Park to carry out the census.

A team of officials of the state forest department, experts and volunteers have participated in the census, sources said.

As per the data released by the Assam Forest Department in 2018, the national park had 1,641 rhinos, of which 793 are females, 642 are males and 206 rhinos’ gender could not be ascertained.