Rhinoceros unicornis or the Greater one horned Indian Rhinoceros is widely regarded as the pride of Assam. The main sanctuary for Indian one horned rhino is the Kaziranga National Park, which is on the south bank of the Brahmaputra, 145 miles (233 km north east of Guwahati. The Indian Rhinoceros is one of the last relics from the prehistoric world. Marco polo, once mistook it for the mystical unicorn.
The importance of one horned Rhino found in Asom, is that it is the only species, having a natural habitat in our state and not any part of the world. Government has adopted a number of rehabilitation measures to protect it. But, on the day break of the 21st century, the species is on the verge of extinction. One serious reason for the trend of extinction is illegal poaching (for the rhino horn).
Till the early 1970, trading in the horn of one horned rhino was legal and forest department used to hold regular auctions to dispose off accumulated rhino horn. These horns were that of the animal died naturally or have been the victim of epidemic or natural calamity. At that time, according to available records, the prices are raged around Rs 65,000 per kilogram.Such legal trading then was also present in other countries which had habitat for different species of rhino.
It was in 1973 that the making of the convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITIES), that the signatory nations were prohibited from engaging in trade in endangered species and their products.
But, such prohibition has rather given unexpected and skyrocketing of rhino horn. This has also intensified poaching for meeting demands at international markets, particularly Hong Kong and Singapore. For example, the pre CITIES period (7 years prior to CITIES period) 63 rhinos were killed by poachers. Contrastingly, in the post CITIES period (1983-89) the number of rhinos slaughtered were 235.
As the poaching activities have been kept under constant vigil, the price of the horn has increased correspondingly. The recent photographs of a rhino lying helplessly after its horn has been taken away by the poacher have definitely raised many eyebrows. Consequently, there has been thorough mudslinging. NGOs pointed fingers on forest officials, forest official raised issue of paucity of funds and the like.
In a recent report, it has been found that the Kaziranga National Park has lost 22 rhinos in last 14 months. Nearly 169 families has occupied parts of the Park According to Minister of state for environment and Forest, S Raghupathy clarified that eviction is not possible because of a High Court Order. Previously, poaching was limited to local poachers’ remote controlled by some middle men the former getting peanuts by the latter. Subsequently, the reins of this trade was also took over by insurgents.The advantage of trading in rhino horn is that it can be carried or transported easily. Insurgents exchange them for arms in international market.
In spite of some government initiative, like the wildlife Protection Act, the problem of poaching has not solved. Some of the major impediments for such failure include paucity of fund, corruption among some forest official, inefficient arms and weapons to count sophisticated weapons of poachers, lack of awareness among masses, improper conservation measures, etc.
However, the recent pictures of the victimized rhino has some how bought people particularly of Asom, to think for the protection of this endangered species, which has always made us feel proud in front of greater India and international community. A number of organizations and animal lovers have come forward to express their concern. Recently, an NGO, Kaziranga wildlife Society has done this by appealing to public, to inform to various range offices of Kaziranga National Park, the giving them the phone numbers, of stray rhinos moving away from protection areas.
The society has also distributed leaflets with pictures of an injured rhino whose horn has been brutally cut down by poachers after it had strayed away from the protected area in the sanctuary.
Such efforts should be multiplied to protect the species. The deployment of additional guards (around 100 home guards) with 303 rifles is also commendable. Earlier there were only 20 home guards and 27 forest battalions for the same. Forest personnel have also held meeting involving villagers in order to co-operate with them in conservation measures. Resorts and hotels, tea estates, jeep safari operators and the district administration have also been urged in protecting the rhinos.
It is also true that the population of this species in major, habitats such as Kaziranga or Chitawan the population of this animal is on the increase. But, inspite of the numbers are not large enough for the rhino to have crossed the safety mark, to be deleted from IUCN’s Red Data Book.
So for achieving our anti-poaching objectives, an organized effort is must, an urgent need.
