Assam: The safe home for Rhinos
The Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on 1st January 2023 that no rhinos were poached in Assam in the year 2022. Special DGP G P Singh shared the data that since 2000, it is for the first time there were no incidents of rhino poaching in the state.
PM lauds rhino conservation efforts:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his happiness and complimented the people of Assam. Sharing a tweet by the Chief Minister of Assam, PM Modi complimented the people of Assam for the efforts.
PM Modi said, “This is great news! Compliments to the people of Assam, who have shown the way and been proactive in their efforts to protect the rhinos.”
Anti-Rhino poaching efforts:
In 2021, the Assam government established a 22-member task force and followed a zero-tolerance policy. With this effort, in 2021 there were only 2 incidents of poaching.
Further, strict measures were taken like the installation of CCTVs, armed commandos were deployed and even drones and dog squads were put to action. Also, the people living in the forests were sensitised and coordinated communication was built with the police of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
Even in 2019, the Assam government constituted a Special Rhino Protection Force to stop rhino poaching at the Kaziranga National Park. Assam’s Kaziranga National Park is the biggest habitat for one-horned rhinos globally. The animal’s population reached 2,613 at the park in 2022 from 2,413 in 2018.
For achieving this mark of zero poaching, actions have been taken for last many years. In the year 2011, India’s first dog squad for wildlife crimes, the ‘K9 unit’ was established in Assam. The role of the dog squad is to sniffs out hunters at national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Even in 2005, Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was launched. It was also a major effort to protect one-horned rhinos. It was a collaborative effort between various organisations, including the International Rhino Foundation, Assam’s Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council, World Wide Fund – India, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Why the one-horned rhinos are under threat:
The Indian rhino is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal. It has a single black horn that can grow up to 60 cm and it is believed to treat various illnesses. This is the reason that rhinos are hunted.
It is significant to note that the Indian rhino plays an important role in sustaining biodiversity and ensuring a healthy ecosystem. It is the only large mammal species in Asia to be down-listed from endangered to vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list in 2008.
