Earlier, the forest and police departments worked independently to stop wildlife crimes but the task force brought them together and the efforts become concrete against poachers. In June 2021, a special task force was created (chaired by GP Singh, Assam’s Special DGP) comprising 22 senior police and forest department officials. The Assam government went to great lengths to curb rhino poaching © Aaranyak He immediately called a meeting of senior officials and gave them stern instructions to draw a roadmap to stop the killing of rhinos. Sources said the efforts to fully curb rhino poaching began when the state’s incumbent Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took office in May 2021. The Assam government has been very keen to stop rhino poaching and repair its image in the international community. The persistent demand for rhinos makes them vulnerable to poaching. In Vietnam, a rhino horn is also considered a status symbol. Moreover, rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers, and also as an aphrodisiac. The animal is poached for its horn, which is prized in some cultures. The killing of rhinos by poachers has been a major cause of concern for wildlife enthusiasts and state governments. Around 250 rhinos are also present in the Orang, Pobitora and Manas National Parks. Kaziranga National Park is home to the largest population, with 2,613 animals, based on the census carried out in March 2022. Read moreĪccording to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there are around 3700 rhinos in the wild. Previously, it had been placed in the endangered category. The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable (better than endangered, worse than near threatened) in the IUCN Red List. The animal has a single black horn that can grow up to 60 cm, and a tough, grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives the animal its characteristic armour-plated look. The Indian rhinoceros is found in Brahmaputra Valley, in the northern portion of the neighbouring state of West Bengal, and in parts of southern Nepal. There is an international ban on the trade of rhino horns under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. The Indian rhino ( Rhinoceros unicornis) is listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as an endangered animal. No rhinos were killed by poachers in the state of Assam in 2022 © Aaranyak The Indian rhino, an endangered animal We are striving to keep the graph flat,” Singh tweeted. The last case of poaching was on December 28, 2021, at Hilakunda, Kohora in Golaghat district. There has been no rhino poaching in Assam in the year 2022. “Anti-rhino-poaching efforts have yielded spectacular results. GP Singh, who chaired a special task force to put an end to poaching in Assam, posted data on Twitter revealing the initiative’s success. The rhinos have been continuously hunted for their horns since 1978. Around 27 deaths were reported between 20. The announcement reveals a tremendous accomplishment for a state where 191 rhinos were poached between 20.
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