Tenth rhino killed in Asom, NGOs sound alert

Guwahati, July 20 (UNI) Forest guards at the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) recovered the carcass of yet another rhino, the tenth to have been killed by poachers in the world heritage site this year.

This was for the first time in a decade that the poachers had killed the endangered animal in such a quick succession in the national park.

The carcass was traced by the guards in a trap built by poacher beside a pond near the New Bill camp in the Agoratoli Range of the park this morning.

The rhino was suspected to have been killed more than a week back.

The horn was taken away by the poachers.

Three days back, suspected Karbi poachers had killed another rhino in the Park.

Another was killed in the Burapahar range on July 3.

Two days after the July 3 incident, authorities of the Kaziranga National Park dashed a report to the Asom government, explaining the loopholes in the park's security machinery which had abetted the recurring incidents of poaching.

In its report to the state government, the KNP authorities pointed towards the lack of manpower, outdated arms and inadequate budgetary allocation as shortfalls which required immediate attention.

Meanwhile, NGOs working for the conservation of wildlife had blamed the recurring incidents on the lack of manpower.

Requesting anonymity, an official of an NGO working for wildlife conservation said when the state government should have recruited more forest guards in the department, it had been engrossed at creating more posts at the top level.

It may be mentioned here that recruitment for the forest guards had not taken place since 1989.

Since 1995, at least 92 poachers had been killed, while another 660 arrested in the KNP alone.

After six rhinos were poached in the first quarter of this year, the forest department had been facing much heat from various quarters to intensify the security arrangements.

Even international bodies had moved the Prime Minister, seeking adequate measures to check poaching in the famous Park.

The world heritage site had witnessed the killing of 560 one-horned rhinos since 1980.

UNI