Rhino Poaching in Kaziranga

Another rhino shot in Kaziranga for horn
Published: Friday, Mar 1, 2013, 23:15 IST
Place: GUWAHATI | Agency: IANS

Despite a shoot-at-sight order, poachers killed another endangered one-horned rhinoceros in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and took away its horn, officials said on Friday.

This was tenth such killing in the area since January though close to 400 Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) commandos are deployed in the park.

The carcass of the male rhino, suspected to have been killed on Thursday evening, was found in the Agaratoli forest range. They said the rhino was hit by seven bullets of a .303 rifle.

Park Director NK Vasu said the guards had an encounter with the poachers but they managed to take advantage of the darkness and escape unhurt with the rhino horn.

The poaching took place just two km from Arikati anti-poaching camp in the forest, officials said.

"The guards heard gunshots and launched an operation. However, the operation was suspended after dark and resumed this morning," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Suresh Chand said.

Besides forest guards and field officers, 370 personnel of elite AFPF are in the park since the beginning of this year. Another 150 AFPF personnel are likely to arrive at the park.

"The number of poachers has gone up due to huge demands for rhino horns in the international market. Groups involved in the trade of wild animal parts have pumped in huge money to procure horns," said Vasu.

He said there was need to find out the reason behind the sudden rise in the demand for rhino horns.

"There have been attempts by poachers to enter the park and kill rhinos every day," he said.

This is the 10th rhino killed in the park and its adjoining forests in the last two months.

Last year, over 40 rhinos died in various protected areas of Assam. While at least 12 of them were poached, over 30 died in three waves of floods that swept through the state.

The Massacre continues: One More Rhino Killed by Poachers in Kaziranga

Another Rhinoceros has been murdered in Kaziranga National Park and its horn removed. The body with number of bullets was found in the Burapahar range of Kaziranga National park. The empty shells have been recovered.

Earlier the Chief Minister had announced a CBI enquiry and there have been attempts to strengthen the enforcement, however the massacre continues. There is a intelligence failure as the forest department is unable to know poachers are getting ready to enter the park. After the poaching incident, the whereabouts of the poachers are not known. To make up for its inefficiency, there are many raids conducted on the neighbouring villages, however, the villagers say that this is only meant for show. Forest department officials say that on the contrary, they have been conducting massive combing and search operations to recover the horn and nab the poachers.

The truth is somewhere in between. Kaziranga has turned into killing fields. When will the Government ensure that the Rhinos are safe?

Hope this new technique helps in protecting Rhinos.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...w/19454320.cms


GUWAHATI: Wildlife authorities are using aerial drones to oversee a sprawling natural game park in Assam to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from armed poachers.

Security officers conducted flights of the unmanned aircraft over the Kaziranga National Park on Monday and will fly drones at regular intervals to prevent rampant poaching in the park in the remote area of Assam.

The drones are equipped with cameras and will be monitored by security guards, who find it difficult to guard the whole 480-square kilometer reserve.

"Regular operations of the unmanned aerial vehicles will begin once we get the nod of the Indian defense ministry," said Rokybul Hussain, the state's forest and environment minister.

The drones will also be useful during the annual monsoon season when large areas in the Kaziranga reserve are flooded by the mighty Brahmaputra River and three other rivers that flow through the game park, park officials said.

Hussain said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will soon begin investigations into the steep rise in rhino poaching this year.

Poachers armed with automatic rifles killed 22 rhinos last year, but have killed 16 rhinos already this year.

Rhino horn is in great demand in China and Southeast Asia where it is believed to have medicinal properties.

A rhino census conducted in Kaziranga reserve two weeks ago put their number at 2,329, up from 2,290 in 2012.

In recent weeks, wildlife authorities in Assam have deployed 300 armed guards to protect the rhinos in Kaziranga but they have been no match for organized gangs of poachers who have been managing to strike at the rhinos with increasing regularity.

"What worries us is the use of automatic weapons like Kalashnikovs by the poachers," said Assam police chief Jayanta Narayan Choudhury.

The drones are used in the central zone. Poachers enter the park during the night, kill the rhinos and flee with the horn. At this point of time, nothing can beat the traditional patrolling.

The locals in Kaziranga told me that the guards are not as motivated as they used to be in the past. Guards remaining stationary in some places doesn't help. They have to be on the foot patrolling the area. Else the killing will not stop.

Automatic weapons is one of the plea the guards use in avoiding the poachers. Kaziranga needs committed people. Drones and other such things are just to show that they are doings something.