The
Indian rhinoceros (
Rhinoceros unicornis) is a species of
rhinoceros that once ranged across the entire northern part of the
Indian subcontinent. As a result of habitat destruction and climatic changes, its range was gradually reduced such that, by the 19th century, it survived only in southern Nepal, northern
Uttar Pradesh, northern
Bihar, northern
West Bengal, and in the
Brahmaputra Valley in
Assam. The species's range has since shrunk further, and its habitat is surrounded by human-dominated landscapes, so that in many areas, it occurs in cultivated areas, pastures, and secondary forests. It is currently listed as a
vulnerable species on the
IUCN Red List. This adult male Indian rhinoceros was photographed on the banks of the
Gandaki River in Nepal.
Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp