Assam: Poachers hit Kaziranga, rising need for more public cooperation  

Guwahati: The poaching of one-horned rhinoceros has returned to Kaziranga National Park in the first month of 2024, as two rhinos were killed in its Agaratoli forest range.

The on-duty forest staff recovered the carcass of a single-horn rhino near Maklung forest camp while doing their routine patrolling on 22 January.

The precious horn had gone missing. It was apprehended that the adult rhino, often killed for its horn that fetches a few million dollars in the illegal wildlife market, was poached on the previous night.

The second rhino carcass was detected by the elephant patrol party on 26 January within a kilometer.

The killing of two rhinos in a single day was shocking news for wildlife enthusiasts, responding to which the park authority engaged a number of forest officials and police personnel in the investigation process.

Their prompt efforts resulted in the detention of a suspected poacher (identified as Joggu Pegu, a resident of Mohuramukh in Golaghat district) and recovery of a horn with an AK series assault rifle within days. The second horn is yet to be recovered.

The authorities have intensified surveillance and patrolling to prevent criminals from poaching more wild animals. 

An individual from Manipur is also identified as being involved in the crime as a shooter.

Assam police chief GP Singh, who also leads the special rhino protection force in Kaziranga, appreciated the ground staff for the outstanding robe.

He also expected public support and cooperation to eradicate the poaching of wildlife for good. Kaziranga park authorities earlier recovered 79 rhino carcasses with horns which died due to natural causes.

Incidentally, it was the first case of rhino poaching this year in Assam, which even enjoyed a zero-poaching year in 2022. Kaziranga and also Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve lost two rhinos each to the poachers. Kaziranga witnessed last year’s poaching in March.

On the other hand, Manas Forest Reserve witnessed the poaching incident in June (even though the authority believes that the animal was killed a few weeks back).

The incident sparked a series of protests by the local environment and wildlife enthusiasts against the authority for its failure to protect the wildlife.

An umbrella body of 14 local organisations demonstrated their anger against a section of corrupt and irresponsible forest officers.

Even a group of youths shaved their heads publicly on 9 July to show solidarity with the cause of wildlife conservation. A UNESCO world heritage site Manas forest reserve (like Kaziranga), gives shelter to around 45 rhinos. 

On the other hand, Kaziranga supports over 2,613 rhinos (out of 4,000 global one-horned rhino population).

Other reserves of Assam namely the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (around 107 rhinos) and Orang National Park (125) support the rhino population to increase up to 2,650 individuals.

With a drastic reduction in poaching following the deployment of heavily armed ground forces and other modern gadgets, Assam expects to increase the rhino population to 3,000 soon.

The New Year also brought good news as two rhinos were sighted in Laokhowa and Burhachapori forest reserve after many years.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently shared a photograph on social media expressing delight at the return of rhinos to those reserves.

Those reserves used to give shelter to nearly 50 rhinos till 1983, but the entire population was wiped out by the menace of poaching and grassland habitat loss. The number of poaching incidents has been reduced in the last five years thanks to the brutal laws against poachers, the strengthening of staff inside the protected forest areas and awareness in the fringe localities.

A number of poachers were also arrested and many died in the encounters with the security forces.

The captured poachers and their associates admit that they had taken the risk of killing rhinos inside the restricted forest reserves because of unbelievable monetary benefits.

It shows a complex socio-economic situation that may tempt an individual to indulge in the crime.

Along with the arming of forest staff and brutal laws against criminals, probably we need more social consciousness to deal with the situation on the ground more promptly.