Protecting the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros: The Role of Workforce Capacity, Legal Enforcement, and Patrolling in Protected Areas

This study examines the relationship between anti-poaching management strategies and wild greater one-horned rhinoceros population outcomes in Assam, India. Drawing on archival data from the Assam Forest Department, the study assesses whether key anti-poaching measures, including frontline staffing levels, personnel salary expenditures, poacher arrests, and patrolling efforts, are associated with changes in wild rhino populations. The findings reveal that frontline staffing levels and salary expenditures are significantly associated with rhinoceros population recovery, suggesting that investments in human resources may strengthen deterrence, field monitoring, and habitat protection. Legal enforcement, measured by the number of poachers arrested, also demonstrates a statistically significant association with rhinoceros population outcomes, highlighting the importance of effective law enforcement in anti-poaching strategies. In contrast, patrolling effort alone was not a statistically significant predictor of rhinoceros population changes, suggesting that patrol effectiveness may depend on complementary measures, such as adequate staffing, consistent law enforcement, and systematic monitoring. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of institutional capacity and coordinated enforcement strategies in rhinoceros conservation. The study offers practical policy implications for prioritizing investments in frontline personnel, strengthening enforcement capacity, and improving monitoring systems to support long-term rhinoceros population recovery.