Greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).
Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Increasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2019 global assessment of Rhinoceros unicornis says VulnerableChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The greater one-horned rhinoceros (Indian rhino) is a massive, single-horned rhino with armour-like skin folds. It is assessed as Vulnerable, having recovered strongly from near-extinction.
Most live in a small number of well-guarded reserves.
Range & habitat
Floodplain grasslands and forests of northern India and Nepal.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Poaching for horn
- Habitat loss to agriculture
- Concentration in few protected areas
Why it matters
A conservation success rebuilt through strict protection, the greater one-horned rhino is a flagship for India and Nepal's floodplain grasslands.
Also called the Indian rhinoceros; recovery in India and Nepal is often cited as a conservation success.
Gallery
Greater one-horned (Indian) rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).
Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Greater One-horned Rhinoceros
- IUCN Red List — look up Greater One-horned Rhinoceros (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web