Population genetic assessment of extant populations of greater one-horned rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis ) in India

The greater one-horned rhino has a wide range of historical distribution across the northern Indian subcontinent and now being confined to restricted patches in India and Nepal. Development of effective conservation strategy for rhino requires a clear understanding of the extant and spatial distribution of genetic diversity. In the present study, we employed nine microsatellite markers to analyze 238 noninvasively sampled individual rhinos from five protected areas in India, in order to assess genetic diversity and population genetic structure in the wild. We observed a moderate to high level of genetic diversity with allelic richness (Ar) ranging from 2.589 (±0.88) to 3.635 (±0.93) and expected heterozygosity (H e ) ranging from 0.352 (±0.20) to 0.59 (±0.13) in the area. Significant level of genetic differentiation was observed between the Protected Areas of Assam and West Bengal, especially, Gorumara National Park showing a unique genetic signature ( F ST ≥ 0.25; p < 0.001, with all other protected areas). Given the degree of population genetic structure observed, prolonged separation of these protected areas is unwanted as this could lead to further loss of genetic diversity, consequently, affecting long-term viability of the species. The results presented here will be crucial in designing in situ conservation and management strategies of the species.