Assam: Task force meets at Kaziranga to chalk out anti-rhino poaching measures
GUWAHATI: The second meeting of the anti-rhino poaching task force, chaired by Assam special director general of police (SDGP) Harmeet Singh, was held at Kaziranga’s Kohora convention centre on Thursday (May 16).
Senior Assam police officials, including inspectors general of police (special task force) and (central range), superintendents of police of the rhino-inhabited areas, senior forest officials including field director of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), and directors and divisional forest officers were present in the meeting, KNPTR field director Sonali Ghosh said.
The key agenda of the meeting was to review the existing rhino protection measures, forest-police coordination, deployment of existing forest protection forces, and strengthening of intelligence networks.
During the meeting, presentations were made by the forest and police officials from the four rhino-inhabited areas, she said.
With the increase in rhino population, it has been observed that over the past two years, the pachyderms are increasingly venturing into new areas like Bura Chapori and Majuli.
In view of this, the task force recommended that vulnerability of the rhinos in these areas be mapped and measures including setting up of anti-poaching camps and patrolling routes identified, she added.
The task force recommended inclusion of additional members, including the inspectors general of police (northern range and eastern range), divisional forest officers from Nagaon, Golaghat and Jorhat territorial divisions, and commandants of the Assam forest protection force, for better coordination and surveillance, she said.
In a bid to increase the operational capabilities, holding of regular coordination meetings in all the rhino-inhabited areas was also recommended, Ghosh further said.
As per the March 2022 rhino census, the KNPTR has a significant population of over 2613 greater one-horned rhinos making it the largest habitat of the endangered species in the world.
According to official figures provided to this correspondent by the KNPTR authorities in January 2024, a total of 186 rhinos have been killed by poachers in the famed park between 2000 and 2023.
While no case of rhino poaching was reported in the park in 2022, the UNESCO world heritage site witnessed the highest number of rhino poaching cases (27) in 2014, followed by 26 in 2013.
However, on January 21 this year, poachers managed to sneak into the park with a sophisticated AK series assault rifle taking advantage of the reduced water levels in the Brahmaputra river.
After entering the park, the poachers did not strike once, but twice, killing two adult rhinos almost on the same day at Agaratoli under the eastern range of the park.
In the wake of the killing of the rhinos, an additional battalion from the 2nd Assam forest protection force was soon deployed in the park.
The KNPTR authorities also took a slew of measures including strengthening river patrolling inside the park.