GUWAHATI, India—Civil societies and the advocacy groups in Assam, India, have come together demanding stringent actions against the poachers of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros at Kaziranga National Park.
Recognized as a safe haven for the rhinos, Kaziraga has lately been the focus of much media attention.
The park lost as many as 20 one-horned rhinos in 2007 to poachers, the most in the last decade.
And within the fifth week of 2008, four rhinos fell pray to poachers in the same park.
Kaziranga National Park gives shelter to almost two-thirds of the total population of one horned rhinos on Earth. A 1984 census showed that Kaziranga, which was declared a National Park in 1974, had 1,080 rhinos. The number increased to 1,069 in 1991, according to another census. While the 1999 census showed the number of rhinos had gone up to 1,552. The last census in 2006 revealed the number of rhinos in the park at 1,855.
The park normally loses 10 to 15 rhinos annually from natural causes and poaching. Rhinos live an average of 40 years, and in the last 10 years, over 700 rhinos have died; only 71 of them lost to poachers, with the remaining lost to natural death.
Statistics reveal that altogether five rhinos were killed during 2006. The year 2005 witnessed the slaughtering of seven rhinos. During 2004, four rhinos become victims of poaching. It was again less in 2003, when poachers killed only three rhinos.
Prized Horn
The rhino horn is prized as an aphrodisiac and a cure for many ills in traditional Oriental medicine, selling for thousands of dollars per kilogram. A single horn can fetch as much as $40,000. Given the widespread popularity of the powdered rhino horn, rising incomes across Asia signal that demand for it is on the increase.
And sophisticated poachers are travelling great distances and going to great lengths to fetch it, despite the fact that there is scant scientific evidence that powdered rhino horn has any medicinal or aphrodisiacal powers, says a Guwahati-based veterinarian.
In fact, veterinarians say there is no truth behind those beliefs. They say that the horns are nothing but compact masses of agglutinated hair and rhinos use them for defense against other animals.
Nevertheless, the rhinos are being slaughtered for their horns. Kaziranga National Park director Suren Buragohain says, "The poachers are equipped with sophisticated weapons. But our forest guards lack the proper arms to counter them." The park, he says, badly needs more guards with advanced arms and ammunition.
Public Outcry
Mr. Buragohain has earned harsh criticism from wildlife advocates as the recent increase in rhino poaching at Kaziranga has occurred during his tenure.
Statistics reveal that during his term of less than 12 months, Kazirnaga lost the highest number of rhinos in a decade.
Both Mr. Buragohain and the State Forestry Ministry have been criticized for not reacting quickly enough to combat the poaching increase.
So the All Assam Students Union (AASU), an influential students' organization in northeast India, held demonstrations throughout Assam on Feb. 2 protesting against the authority's failure to protect the rhinos.
AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya has demanded the resignation of Rockybul Hussain, the forest minister of Assam, "for failing to take adequate steps to stop this heinous crime against a national treasure."
Concerned ordinary citizens, political party members, and media have all expressed their deep anguish against the continued slaughtering of rhinos in Assam, particularly at Kaziranga in the last few months.
Newspaper readers and television viewers had a shocking experience in January when they were exposed to visuals of a wounded rhino at Kaziranga.
A mother rhino, which had already lost her baby to poachers for its horn, was shown falling victim to poachers. The poachers cut her horn while she was alive and took it away. For the next two days the rhino suffered with severe wounds on the mouth and finally succumbed her injuries.
Meanwhile, Nature's Beckon, an active NGO of the region emerged with a strong allegation that the forestry department itself was some how involved with the illegal trade of rhino horns.
Addressing an audience at the Guwahati Press Club on Feb. 4, Soumyadeep Datta, the director of Nature's Beckon, said that the forestry department of Assam has not properly preserved the rhino horns properly in their custody.
Nature's Beckon revealed that, under India's 2005 Right to Information Act, it had acquired some vital information from the office of the Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife Division) of Assam. According to MC Malakar, Chief Conservator of Assam Forest (Wildlife Division), only 1,498 rhino horns have been in seized by the forest department to date.
Mr. Datta said the actual number is far more. He said, "We have authentic information that until 1972, the Assam forest department used to sell the rhino horns. We suspect, the department continued to sell rhino horns even after 1972 [the year the government of India prohibited hunting of wildlife and their trade by enacting laws]."
In India, poaching is a punishable offence with up to seven years' imprisonment. India has been a member to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species since 1976 and hence, in principle at least, is bound by all its efforts to eliminate International trade in wildlife and wildlife parts, said Mr. Datta.
He also added, "We suspect that a large share of the wildlife parts, which are being sold in the international markets, made way from the forest department's stock due to the manipulation and corrupt practices of some dishonest forest officials."
Hence, Nature's Beckon demands a high level probe, preferably by Central Bureau of Investigation, to examine the entire issue of poaching and illegal wildlife organ trading, said Mr. Datta.
But amidst all controversy, one more rhino was slaughtered on Feb. 5 at Kaziranga, which created public another uproar throughout the region.
Under pressure, State Forest and Environment minister Rockybul Hussain rushed to Kaziranga next day to take stock of the situation. He ordered authorities to deploy 100 armed guards to police the poachers in Kaziranga. The minister also admitted that the government was alarmed at the frequency of rhino poaching in the state.
Compelled by the situation, the minister even disclosed that he had no reservation against a CBI enquiry into the entire issue of poaching at the National parks in Assam.
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