(IN): Succour for rhinos, at last

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Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070810/asp/northeast/story_8172293.asp

 

Succour for rhinos, at last

- Project to translocate rhinos to take off by year-end A STAFF REPORTER

*

Guwahati, Aug. 9: *The India Rhino Vision 2020 programme, which aims to

attain a population of 3,000 rhinos in the wild in Assam, will begin by the

year-end. The project is finally slated to see the light of day after a

great deal of delay.

 

Under this programme, the rhino population will be distributed over seven

protected areas by 2020.

 

A senior World Wildlife Fund (WWF) official said the infrastructure at Manas

National Park would be ready by October, so that several rhinos from

Kaziranga can be translocated there. At least 20 rhinos will be sent from

Kaziranga to Manas.

 

A total of 13 new camps will be set up and 50 volunteers brought in for the

programme to help provide a safe and secure site for the rhinos in Manas.

 

" The entire park would get a new look. There will be 13 new camps equipped

with wireless sets and base stations, " the official added.

 

The Indian Rhino Vision 2020 project will be implemented by the department

of environment and forests of the Assam government and is being supported by

WWF India, International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and others.

 

The first translocation was supposed to have taken place in March, but was

delayed due to a variety of factors, sources said.

 

One of the reasons was the untimely demise of senior IRF functionary Tom

Foose. Another was a helicopter accident in Nepal, in which WWF lost its top

experts on the Eastern Himalayas. As a result, many high priority actions

had had to be delayed in the region.

 

There have also been internal problems in the state forest department,

caused by a lack of co-operation and co-ordination, which resulted in

hurdles in the way of the programme as far as Manas is concerned.

 

" After a number of setbacks, those implementing Indian Rhino Vision 2020

have collaborated to establish a new timeline for the project. They are

firmly committed to getting the project back on track, " the official said.

 

The programme would not be hampered even if poaching occurs. The forest

department would be responsible for ensuring security.

 

The programme would involve translocating rhinos from two source populations

(Kaziranga and Pabitora) into at least three target protected areas (Manas,

Laokhowa-Buracharpori-Kochumora, Dibru Saikhowa and possibly Orang).

 

There is a huge cost involved in translocating rhinos from one spot to

another. Each rhino moved in will be radio-collared. A translocation core

team will also be set up.

 

" Rhinos need to be distributed across landscapes to reduce the risks of

catastrophes. The population in Pabitora has to be reduced so that it is

within the reserve's ecological and sociological carrying capacity, " the

official said.

 

" The sociological carrying capacity is the number of rhinos that a protected

area can sustain without significant human-rhino conflict, " he explained.

 

 

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