peepl-small

Assam: Commando Force to be deployed at Kaziranga National Park to intensify anti-poaching operations

PUBLISHED:

Guwahati: Special Director General of Police (DGP) cum Chairman Assam Rhino Protection Task Force and Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) on Sunday informed that Commando Force will be deployed at Kaziranga National Park to intensify anti-poaching operations there.

The Special DGP had reviewed the ongoing anti-poaching operation on Saturday and had visited the recent rhino poaching site yesterday.

Recently, a carcass of an adult female rhino was detected inside the national park. It is being suspected to have been killed by poachers as its horn was missing. 

 This, incidentally, is the first incident of rhino poaching at the internationally-famous wildlife habitat; the last time poachers had killed a rhinoceros at Kaziranga was on April last year: exactly nine months ago.

Rhino poaching had come down drastically after the BJP-led government came to power in Assam in 2016 dethroning the Congress regime. The slump was impressive since the past three years with two rhinos killed in 2020 and three in 2019.

Rhino poaching had reached its peak in 2013 and 2014, with 27 rhinos killed by poachers each year.

Year-wise data of rhino poaching shows four rhinoceros were killed by poachers in 2000; eight in 2001; four in 2002; three in 2003; four in 2004; seven in 2005; five in 2006; 16 in 2007; six in 2008; six in 2009; five in 2010; three in 2011; 11 in 2012; 27 in 2013; 27 in 2014; 17 in 2015; 18 in 2016; six in 2017; seven in 2018; three in 2019; two in 2020 and one in 2021.

RELATED ARTICLES