|
|
Asia-Pacific
Letters from India
Protecting Rhinos in Manas National Park
By Nava Thakuria Special Correspondent
 | A rhino in Manas National Park in northeast India |
Even though the people of Assam celebrated 2022 as a zero-rhinoceros-poaching year that drew attention from the international media and global celebrities, the running year has reported two incidents relating to the poaching of precious one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga National Park and Manas NP during the first half. The latest one surfaced in Manas forest reserve, located in the western part of Assam in northeast India, as the skeleton of a single horn rhino was recovered by the forest employees. The rhino was probably poached by the criminals in May for its priced horn, but the authorities had no clue till the last week of June.Earlier, Kaziranga forest staff recovered the carcass of a rhino inside the world-famous forest reserve in the last week of March. Here too, the rhino was understood to have poached days back as the staff recovered its decomposed body with the horn gone missing. Otherwise, the brutal laws against the poachers, strengthening of ground staff inside the protected forest areas and increasing public awareness in the fringe localities of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across Assam positively impacted the mission to save the rhinos.Many people unscientifically believe that the rhino horns can be used as a traditional Viagra. The horns are also assumed to contain medicinal values for the cure of high fever, stomach ailment and even cancer. Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East are also known to be huge markets for rhino horns, where unlike India the use of horns for medical purposes and scientific research is legalised. But the veterinarians argue that horns comprise the same protein that constitutes the formation of hair. And hence those can not have no such medicinal values, unfortunately for which the animals are being killed.The stout animal is recognised as a pride to the Assamese people and the 800 square kilometer Kaziranga reserve supports around 2,613 rhinos (whereas the global population of one-horned rhinos is around 4,000 in the wild). The UNESCO world heritage site touching the south bank of mighty river Brahmaputra also gives shelter to over 150 Royal Bengal tigers & around 250 leopards, over 5500 Asiatic elephants, a large number of Asiatic wild buffalos, different species of deer, birds, fishes, etc.There was a time when Assam witnessed poaching of 27 rhinos in 2013 and 2014 each. Next year, the count came down to 17, and 18 cases were reported in 2016. With the declining trend, 2017 witnessed only seven incidents of rhino poaching, followed by seven in 2018, three in 2019, and two cases in 2020 and 2021. A number of poachers were arrested and four criminals died in encounters. The captured poachers and their associates admitted that they took the risk of killing rhinos inside the restricted forest reserves following their greed for ¡®enormous benefits.¡¯Manas NP in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya lost the rhino population (nearly 100) in the Nineties due to the socio-political turmoil that paved the way for massive deforestation and poaching incidents. The 500 sqkm forest reserve, through which the Manas river (a major tributary of Brahmaputra) flows, borders Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. Under a national rhino vision to boost its population in Assam, the UNESCO world heritage site was chosen as a beneficiary and by 2006 the translocation of rhinos from the forest reserves with concentrated animals were initiated to help it regain the rhino habitat status.A number of orphaned young rhinos, who got separated from their mothers during the annual floods, were shifted to Manas after keeping them for some days at the center for wildlife rehabilitation and conservation in Kaziranga locality. Often the translocated rhinos need to be observed in an enclosure within the forest reserve so that they can be familiar with the new habitat. But unfortunately, the poachers have not spared the translocated rhinos also. So it¡¯s a matter of serious concern as the transaction needs a huge amount of money, which has been spoiled drastically by the criminals. The authorities should tighten its nets and also emphasise on creating adequate public awareness among the residents in fringe localities.
Related Articles When Sarsanghchalak Emphasises on Nature ... Worshiping Motherland as a Deity: An Indian ... Durga Puja sans Idols at Kamakhya Temple Searching for Roots through a Literature ... Welcome to Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival Questioning Credibility of Editors Guild of ... When 177 Global Leaders Stand behind Prof. ... Manifesting Patriotism on I-Day Raising Demand for a Media Grievance Cell India: Rhetoric Boycott Call by Separatist ... Banning Polygamy with Consensus No End to NRC Controversy When Scribes Face Corruption Charges and ... Complainant to Re-approach Court on NRC Assam ... My Unforeseen Journey as a Scribe Converting Profit Hungry APDCL to Consumer ... Dreaming of a World with Three Zeros After Two Years of Military Coup Myanmar Heads ... When India¡¯s Highest Court Faces an Unwanted ... Riding City Buses in Guwahati When Rumour Kills a Mainstream Newspaper! Dissecting Assam NRC for Better Understanding Vehicular Speed That Kills Millions of Indians ... Intriguing Debate on Automobile Mishap Projecting Guwahati as a Krira Prangan New York Times: Editions, Visibility, ... Northeast Celebrates I-Day with Full Patriotic ... Marching Ahead with the Spirit of Swatantra ... Time for Journalists to Be Cautious, Authentic ... Prakash: Throwing Light on Tibetan Literature ... When Repeated FIRs Lodged against an IAS ... Developing Guwahati as a people-friendly city Negating PSO Culture among Media Persons Losing Public Goodwill: Assam Media's Way Global Award to Journalist Nava Thakuria India¡¯s Restive Region Sets to End 2021 ... RSS Condemns Islamist Attacks on Hindu ... When RSS Chief Bhagwat Articulates Agendas Let¡¯s Talk about Self-Reform and Financial ... 'Self-reform and Financial Transparency in ... Tibet Sympathizers to Lodge Protest against ... Prof. Yunus Receives Laurel, Bangladesh Adds ... India Practices Secularism, Democracy and ... Needed a Scientific Probe into Bamunipahar ... Pandemic-Hit Book Publishers Eye for Openings India: Persisting Vulnerability to Scribes Bharat: Nurturing Nationalism with National ... POK Editor Bats for More Exchanges Cries Mounted for Reviving Nabin Chandra ... Scam, Media Outburst and Its Aftermath Amidst Chinese Threat Dalai Lama Concludes ... Asserting Media Person¡¯s Rights in India China¡¯s Myanmar Bonanza Sans Responsibility Manufacturing Misguided Protests in Assam Assam Forum Bats for Work Permits to ... Bhupen-da Came alive with Dhola-Sadiya Bridge ... Remembering My Principal Sir! Saluting Tricolour to Defy Militants¡¯ Diktat ... Underlining India¡¯s Productive Engagement in ... A Conservator Constitutional Head in Northeast ... Young Journalist Killed in India, ... Unpaid Media Employees of Northeast India Journalist Body Urges Political Parties to ... Saving the Tigers from Extinction Glorious Tribute to Bhupenda Burmese Students Term New Government Bogus Burma Turns Hostile to Indian Separatist Groups Northeast India Rediscovers Tricolour Indian People¡¯s Win Inspires Burmese Activists Nobel Support for a Noble Cause Activists Condemn India¡¯s Arm Deal with Burma Protest Note from Guwahati Press Club Journalists¡¯ Killings: Justice Eludes in ... Games Gogoi Played In Assam Polls Remembering Parag: Assam¡¯s Way Helicopter Missing from Northeast Indian Sky Allegations Poured on Indian Premier Allegations Fired at Indian Premier Rising Resentment against Corruption in India Satellite News Channel Launched in Northeast ... Looking at Burma's Forthcoming General ... Burma Election, Refugees and Media¡¯s Role When British Newspaper Tenders Apology to ... TST Contributor Honored with Excellence Award Burning Rhino Horns: Creating Controversy Condemning Military Election in Burma Protest against Military Election in Burma Burmese Demonstrates Anger against Junta Assam: A Pretending Warrior and Peace ... Southeastern Bangladesh Erupts in Violence Grim Picture of Human Rights in India Burma on Radar as New Delhi Prepares
for ... Assam: Where People Defy Militant's Diktat Bangladesh Readies to Hang Bangabandhu Killers International Film Festival Begins in Guwahati RK Pachauri under Attack from British Media Selling News Space Culture in India: Concerns ... Asian MPs Insist on a Free & Fair 2010 Burma ... Guwahati Festival to Highlight Terrorism Assam: Brutal Armed Group, Incompetent ... Without Suu Kyi, 2010 Polls Have No Meaning Beijing Eyes Northeast India ! Bumpy Road to Copenhagen Nava Thakuria Elected Assistant Gen. Sec. of ... Northeast India: People Defy Militant¡¯s ... Northeast India: Waiting for Justice for 18 ... Northeast India : Where Protector Turns Killer Raising Support for Democracy in Burma Indian Muslims Raise Voices for Uighurs Will Captive Breeding of Vultures Work? Northeast India: Trailing a Notorious Rebel Is Burma Junta Learning from Cyclone Nargis! Is a Nepali Fugitive Winning Indian Election? When Politician Uses Scribe for Vested Interest Assam Editor Killing: Protest Continues Freedom under Chinese Boot in Tibet Pride and Poverty: India's Amazing Blending Sri Lankan Crisis: Shelling on Hospital ... Northeast India Defies Militant's Diktat: Woman Journalist Killed in Nepal Urging for Insurance Coverage to Media Persons Bangladesh: Waiting for a Stable Democratic ... ULFA Leader Appeals UNHCR for Political Asylum Assam Mourns Death of Mumbai Terror Attack When an Assamese Magazine Rejects ... Bangladesh Polls: Apprehension on Final Outcome Manipur Asks for CBI Probe into Scribe's ... Scribe's Killing in Northeast: Demand for ... 'Suspend Burma from BIMSTEC' Guwahati Citizens Meet to Discuss Terrorism Group Clashes Shock Northeast India When Media Distorts Facts to Manufacture News Where Editors Swindle Reporters Calling upon Comprehensive Packages for ... Highlighting Media's Challenge and ... Media on Media' Glitch: An Exercise of ... An Ignited Assam Baffles ULFA Assam Defies Militant's Diktat to Celebrate ... Journalists Dare to Defy Militants' Diktat When Bangladeshi Influx Ignites Assam Nepal Can Expect a Consensus of Government Soon Victorious Maoists Lose Battle for Kathmandu India: Assam Party Waits for an Opportunity Burma after Nargis: Devastated, Depressed and ... When a Disastrous Regime Continues Exposing Corrupt Journalists of Our Time Nepal Waits a Republic Regime: Diasporas Don't ... Waiting for Consensus on Government in Nepal Condemnation Pours on Burmese Junta as Suu ... American-Assamese Preparing White Paper on ... Assam Government Bows Down to Public Outrages Shaky Start to Druk Democracy India and Burma Push Joint Project Bhutan Turns Democratic Disregarding Public Outcry: Assam Government's ... Army, Police Heads Become Governors in North ... Rhinos Dwindle as Poaching Thrives in India Taste of Democracy in Bhutan Is Not for ...
Nava Thakuria, who serves as a special correspondent for The Seoul
Times, is based in Guwahati of Northeast India. He also contributes
articles for many media outlets based in different parts of the glove,
and can be contacted at navathakuria@gmail.com
back
|
|
|
|
|