CM Himanta Biswa Sarma invites DiCaprio to visit Kaziranga after actor lauds Assam’s rhino conservation efforts

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday extended an invitation to Leonardo DiCaprio to visit Kaziranga National Park, famed for its one-horned rhinos, after the Hollywood actor lauded the state government for its efforts to stop poaching of the pachyderm.

In an Instagram post, DiCaprio wrote that the efforts of the Assam government that started in 2021 met success the next year when no rhinos were poached in Kaziranga National Park.

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“Preserving wildlife is integral to our cultural identity. We are dedicated to persevering and safeguarding our rich cultural heritage. Thank you for your kind words, @LeoDiCaprio , and I extend a warm invitation to you to visit @kaziranga_and Assam,” Sarma said in a Tweet.

He also shared a screenshot of the Instagram post by DiCaprio praising the government’s efforts.

The Academy-award winning actor wrote that the Assam government in 2021 had set out to end poaching of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park following the killing of around 190 pachyderms for their horns between 2000 and 2021.

“In 2022, they met their goal and no rhinos were poached in the area for the first time since 1977,” the 'Titanic' star said.

DiCaprio also mentioned that KNP is home to 2,200 rhinos, which is about one-third of the world’s rhino population, and, citing a World Wildlife Fund report, added that the global population of the rare rhino has soared to around 3,700 from about 200 at the turn of the 20th century.