(IN): 100 set out on Mission Rhino

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Led by experts, team looks for the animal that strayed from Manas.

 

Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080906/jsp/guwahati/story_9795666.jsp

 

Guwahati, Sept. 5:

Soaked to the skin in a steady drizzle, a team of 100 on elephant back, led by

experts from the forest department and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), began the

single largest hunt to bring back a rhino which strayed from Manas national park

five days ago.

 

The rhino — one of two translocated from Pobitora wildlife sanctuary in April —

was spotted nearly 60km away in Baksa district yesterday after elephant experts

tracked it down by waves emitted by its radio-collar.

 

“The radio signals were superimposed on a map of the area using global

positioning system to pinpoint its exact location,” Debu Dutta, a member of WWF

monitoring mission, said from Kadamtala near Barama.

 

Dutta has been tracking the rhino for the past five days.

 

The 100-member search team, which comprises frontline forest department staff,

conservation volunteers and police, is armed with radio-telemetry equipment to

catch signals from the animal’s radio collar.

 

“We do not want to take any chances and have put in place all logistics possible

to bring the rhino back,” a forest department official said.

 

The rhino has trekked for nearly four days in the rains and is now resting on

the banks of Mora Pagladiya near Barama in Baksa district.

 

“It has crossed a few rivers and seems to be in no mood to stop,” Dutta said.

 

A. Swargiary, field director of Manas National Park, said there have been cases

of animals straying earlier, but this is the farthest a rhino has ever strayed.

 

It will be tranquillised and then taken back to Manas.

 

The hunt is significant for the national park, as it will determine if Assam can

go ahead with translocation projects in future.