3-kg, 36-cm long Rhino horn - one of the world's largest- found in Assam

One of the largest Rhino horns in the world was located in Assam's Nagaon treasury, on Tuesday, during an official verification process by the Rhino Horn Verification Committee. The horn weighs 3 kg and is 36 cm long. It was first found in the Bagori range of Kaziranga National Park in August 1982.

A total of 210 rhino horns were verified by the committee on Tuesday. Of which, 206 belong to Nagaon treasury, three from Jorhat and one from Diphu. The verification committee will move on to Morigaon treasury on Wednesday, where 22 rhino horns from the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary are kept.

Significantly, the world's largest rhino horn - 60 cm in length - can be found in the British Museum, London. This horn was also found in Assam in 1909. The weight of the horn is not known.

Assam is home to 2,500 one-horned rhinos, 90 of which are protected under the Kaziranga National Park. Poaching is a big problem in the state, with seven rhinos killed by poachers in 2015 alone. A Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was set up in 2007 by the Environment ministry, but the bureau only has 109 personnel (40% less than sanctioned) with no prosecution and surveillance power.