(IN): Action plan to halt poaching in Kaziranga

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Link: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan2308/at09

 

 

Action plan to halt poaching in Kaziranga

By A Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 22 – With mounting pressure from several quarters including

conservation groups and the media, the Assam Forest Department now plans to

draw up an action plan to curb poaching in and around Kaziranga National

Park. It was only on last Saturday that two animals were shot close to the

park. While one animal died on the spot, its mother whose horn was hacked

off died yesterday. Last year the death toll of rhinos killed by poachers

was twenty, much higher than in recent past.

 

Well-placed sources in the Forest Department told *The Assam Tribune* today

that a high-powered team with the Commissioner, Environment and Forest has

been mandated to study the worrying situation in the national park.

 

The team comprising the PCCF (Wildlife) and Conservator of Forests would

meet at Kaziranga tomorrow to take a detailed look into reasons behind a

dangerous spurt in poaching of rhinos. On its agenda would be the task to

identify measures essential to combat the new threats to the rhino

population.

 

Once the stocktaking is complete the team would be in a position to offer

recommendations to thwart poaching. The team has to submit its papers by

January 30.

 

The team is likely to endure pressure to come up with a pragmatic strategy

because till today several letters and memoranda have been submitted to

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking high-level intervention following the

most recent poaching.

 

The PCCF Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden Assam MC Malakar, who would play

a key role in tomorrow's meet said that the Forest Department would like to

augment the existing frontline staff to provide better protection to the

wildlife of Kaziranga.

 

However, there were difficulties involved as the department's personnel were

engaged in other projects. Finding spare personnel for the park would be a

problem because a large number of them were engaged in the bamboo mission

and elephant depredation among other work.

 

The other alternative is to go for increasing the sanctioned staff, but such

a step would have to be the outcome of a long process. Significantly the

sanctioned strength for Kaziranga has more or less remained same the time

its size was 430 sq km. At present the park encompasses around 860 sq km and

the number of rhinos has also shot up.

 

Forest Department sources admit that the present spurt in rhino poaching

requires better co-ordination among various agencies including the Forest

Department, police, local communities and conservation groups. However, that

has been difficult because of lack of a definite and comprehensive strategy

and because of fund constraints.

 

It has also been stated that increasing availability of arms and ammunitions

to criminal elements is contributing to rhinos being targeted in and around

the park. Ammunitions recovered from fallen animals confirm that a wide

variety of weapons is used by poachers, some of which could have been

acquired from extremist outfits.

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