In today’s amazing news: Assam, a state in northeastern India, has broken the previous record of zero poaching incidents in Kaziranga.
Since 1977, there has been no rhino poaching in this national park. The Brahmaputra River floodplains in Assam are home to Kaziranga National Park (KNP), the world’s largest one-horned rhino habitat and a popular tourist destination. On Sunday 1st Jan 2023, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the public of this good news while speaking with reporters.
Data showing that there were no rhino poaching incidents reported in Assam in 2022 was also released on Twitter by GP Singh, Special Director General of Police Law & Order, Assam.
A team of people were elected
In order to succeed in this Zero rhino poaching operation, a special task team led by GP Singh was established in 2021. 22 senior police & forest department officers made up the force.
To monitor poachers, numerous armed commandos had also been stationed in rhino areas.
In Assam, any activities of poachers would also be tracked with the aid of drones and dog squads.
The “K9 unit,” founded in Assam in 2011 by biodiversity org “Aaranyak,” is hailed as India’s first dog squad for wildlife crimes. It searches national parks & wildlife sanctuaries for hunters.
Since the task force was established, four poachers have been slain and 58 others have been detained, according to an article in the Deccan Herald report.
The squad also included MK Yadava, the head wildlife warden. It was established to organize the mission-related actions of the two departments.
The primary benefit, according to Yadava, is that they can use the input from both divisions to help find and prevent poaching activity.
The task team created a clever strategy to address the issue after successfully compiling information from all previous poaching operations.
They noted where, when & how the poaching occurred as well as all of the user access and exit points. On days with a full moon, when rhino poachers typically attacked the animals, they strengthened patrols.
India’s rhino population
The Brahmaputra basin, North Bengal, and southern Nepal are the only locations where the Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) may be found. It has a strong, grey-brown hide with folds and a single black horn that can reach a height of 60 cm gives the animal its distinctive armor-plated appearance.
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 lists the Indian rhinoceros as an endangered species under Schedule 1. The Convention on International Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Flora & Fauna prohibits the international trade in rhino horn.
The WWF estimates that there are currently 3,700 wild Indian rhinos. According to a census taken in March 2022, the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam alone is home to 2,613 rhinos. In the Orang, Pobitora, & Manas parks, there are an additional 250 or more rhinos.
The Rhino horn is a valuable item
Because their horn is treasured in some cultures, rhinos have been poached.
In Vietnam, a rhino horn is seen as a prestige symbol. According to a 2021 press release from the Assam Forest Department, processed rhino horn is utilized in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of disorders, from cancer to headaches, and also as an aphrodisiac.
Assam’s most recent poaching statistics
Counting 27 instances apiece, 2013 and 2014 saw the most poaching cases.
There were 18 documented poaching incidents in 2016, which substantially decreased to six the next year and seven in 2018. According to the official data, three rhinos were poached in 2019.
According to information provided by the Assam chief minister, two rhinoceros were each poached in the state in 2020 & 2021
The last time rhino poaching was documented before 2022 was in 1977.
Also watch our latest web story on 0 Rhino poaching in Assam, India:
And as of today, The Kaziranga National Park remains a safe home for rhinos protected from poachers. How amazing is that! Did you like this article? Do let us know in the comments section below and for more such content, keep following Newsum!
