(IN): Poor management of rhino habitat

[Guest guest]

*An Assam Tribune letter to the Editor:*

 

Link: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=sep2508/letter

 

*Poor management of rhino habitat

* Sir, – This refers to the news item " Rise in rhino numbers poses problem "

that appeared in your esteemed daily on September 14. The report has quoted

the Range Officer of this sanctuary who said that because of overpopulation

of rhinos they were straying out of the sanctuary.

 

It is known to any forest officer that straying occurs when the habitat of

the Park is affected and this happens in all rhino bearing parks and

sanctuaries in Assam. When there was a near drought like situation in

Kaziranga in the summer of 2006 the grasses did not remain as nutritious in

the winter, that followed, and so the maximum cases of straying occurred and

one rhino had to be retrieved from as far away as North Lakhimpur. Also

during monsoon if there is water logging rhinos stray from the Park. In the

1950s there were hardly 80 rhinos in Kaziranga. At this time Kaziranga

Forest Department had allowed buffalo khutis to operate. It has been

reported by PD Stracey way back in late 1950s that rhino straying was a

constant problem. As a matter of fact in the 70s during floods maximum

rhinos have strayed into Pabitora from Kaziranga and Orang, and that is how

a viable rhino population was first created in Pabitora area.

 

The Asian Rhino Specialist Group is an apex international advisory body of

experts on one horned rhino. It meets once in 4 years. In the last three

meetings (since 1999) of this body of experts the habitat condition of

Pabitora Wildlife sanctuary has been discussed and it has been mentioned

that cattle grazing is a very big threat in Pabitora. But it has been seen

that due to social pressures and dilution of control of Forest officers,

mainly because they want to be popular with the local people, this threat

has not been duly attended to. Pabitora is an island in the middle of a sea

of humanity and even though there was a lot of government land lying vacant

adjacent to this sanctuary no effort was made by successive governments to

acquire these vacant areas. Today these lands have come under cultivation.

So, it is true that Pabitora has no long term future as stated by the Range

Officer. But he has not mentioned about grazing. Perhaps he is pressurised

politically or socially not to check grazing. Also tree-land has

substantially increased its area in the Park destroying or not allowing

grassland (so essential for rhinos) from thriving.

 

It is seen that some TV channels have taken the cue from your news report

and are highlighting that increase in rhino population is posing problems.

This will give wrong signals to the public of Assam and your esteemed

readers because it is not the increase in numbers that is causing the

problem. The continued poor management by the Forest Department of the

habitat in Pabitora wildlife sanctuary is the root cause. – Yours etc., GK

BEZBARUAH, Kumarpara, Tihu.

 

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