Conservationist Bibhav Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General and CEO of Assam-based wildlife NGO Aaranyak, called the misinformation “worrying.”“Greater one-horned rhino itself reflects it is a one-horned rhino. Further, greater one-horned rhinos are also found in the floodplain ecosystem of Brahmaputra valley in Assam, besides the foothills of Eastern Himalayas,” he said.He added that stating rhino horn has medicinal value could provoke many to seek it for such purposes, potentially leading to increased rhino poaching. Talukdar also reminded the author and NCERT that floods in Assam are a natural phenomenon and essential for the floodplain ecosystem.Environmental activist and animal lover Apurba Ballav Goswami said, “The world knows the Assam rhinos have one horn. It is unfortunate that children are being misinformed.”In response to the outrage, Assam’s Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has instructed the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to investigate the matter.“I have not seen the NCERT textbook. I have directed the SCERT to look into the matter. If it is indeed erroneous, the SCERT will inform the NCERT,” Pegu told the media.“We know Indian rhinos have one horn while African and Sumatran rhinos have two horns,” he added.
Source link
