India, March 17 -- That poaching has always been an ever-present threat to the greater one-horned rhino population is a known fact. But in today's world, climate change is increasingly being recognised as a significant threat as well, experts and people in the field have told Down To Earth (DTE).

Rhinos in two of India's premier habitats for the species - Kaziranga in Assam and Jaldapara in northern West Bengal - are especially at risk due to extreme weather events, according to those who study the species.

"While climate change is not a direct driver of rhino poaching in the same way as the demand for horns, it is increasingly being recognised as a significant and compounding threat to rhinos and the landscapes they depend upon," said ...