Leonardo DiCaprio gets special invitation from Assam CM Himanta Sarma. Why?

In response to the American actor's post, Himanta wrote, "Preserving wildlife is integral to our cultural identity."

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter on Friday to extend a 'special invitation' to Oscar winning American actor and a vocal environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio to visit the state's Kaziranga National Park. In response to the actor's post in which he praised the Assam government for its efforts that resulted in zero poaching of one-horned rhinoceros in the state by 2022, Himanta wrote, "Preserving wildlife is integral to our cultural identity."

Leonardo posted on Instagram that the Assam government had successfully put an end to 'poaching' of endangered One-horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park.

Himanta further wrote, “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.”

Leonardo posted on Instagram that the Assam government had successfully put an end to 'poaching' of endangered One-horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park, and that there were no poaching cases reported in the area in 2022 for the first time since 1977. He also stated that the current population of One-horned Rhinos in Kaziranga National Park is 2200, accounting for two-thirds of the endangered animal's global population.

On January 1, the state government announced that no poaching case of the endangered animal was reported in the state in 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other global environmentalists praised it as well. The Assam government formed a special Anti-Poaching Task Force in July 2021 to combat poaching. Poaching was at its lowest in 21 years that year, with only one case reported.

In 2021, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that there are myths in some sections that lead to rhinoceros slaughter. In order to break that record, he burned 2,500 rhino horns in September of that year. For the past four decades, the government has recovered and preserved the horns.