01-27-2008, 11:22 PM
From Daily Pioneer
<b>N-E ultras strike gold with rhino slaying</b>
Syed Zarir Hussain | Kaziranga
Militants in the North-East are involved in a flourishing rhino poaching syndicate at the famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam leading to a sudden spurt in incidents of the giant pachyderms being slaughtered for their horn.
"Our reports indicate a definite nexus between poachers and militants. Hence, we are soon adopting a slew of measures to combat incidents of poaching at Kaziranga," Assam's Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said.
Three rhinos have so far been killed this year at the 430 sq km park -- the latest in a string of brutal poaching of the herbivorous mammals.
"Organised poacher gangs are involved in killing the rhinos. Last year, 18 were killed and in January three were shot dead, including a mother and a calf," park warden Bankim Sarma said.
The growing demand for rhino horns and its barter for arms by militants has turned into a big business. Rhino horns are bartered by militants with the poaching syndicates for purchase of arms.
"Karbi tribal militant groups (from Assam) and the NSCN-IM (Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland) are directly involved in the flourishing rhino poaching racket," Durlav Gogoi, a former poacher and now actively helping park authorities in combating the menace, said.
Saikia and another former poacher Motka Gogoi killed at least a dozen rhinos between themselves before they gave up poaching of rhinos a couple of years back.
"The NSCN-IM helped us with sophisticated weapons, including carbines and rifles, to hunt the rhino. We used to get Rs 3,000 at the most for shooting the rhino," Saikia said.
"There are suggestions to take the help of police and even the Army in combating poaching, especially to deal with the militants involved in such a racket. We would take stern measures after we get a report from a committee set up to review the situation," the Minister said.
This is the first time in a decade that the number of rhinos killed in a year has touched the double digit inside the 430 sq km park.
As per the latest figures, some 1,855 of the world's estimated 2,700 herbivores lumber around the wilds of Kaziranga -- their numbers ironically making the giant mammals a favourite target for poaching. Such was the pressure that between 1980 and 1997, some 550 rhinos were killed by poachers in the wilds of Kaziranga -- the highest being 48 being slaughtered in 1992.
There was a downslide in rhino poaching between 1998 and 2006 with just 47 rhinos being killed -- the decrease being attributed to intensive protection mechanisms and a better Intelligence network, coupled with support from villagers living on the periphery of the park. "The demand for the rhino has always been there and with the rhino population decreasing in other sanctuaries, especially in Nepal, the pressure is increasing on Kaziranga," the warden said.
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<b>N-E ultras strike gold with rhino slaying</b>
Syed Zarir Hussain | Kaziranga
Militants in the North-East are involved in a flourishing rhino poaching syndicate at the famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam leading to a sudden spurt in incidents of the giant pachyderms being slaughtered for their horn.
"Our reports indicate a definite nexus between poachers and militants. Hence, we are soon adopting a slew of measures to combat incidents of poaching at Kaziranga," Assam's Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said.
Three rhinos have so far been killed this year at the 430 sq km park -- the latest in a string of brutal poaching of the herbivorous mammals.
"Organised poacher gangs are involved in killing the rhinos. Last year, 18 were killed and in January three were shot dead, including a mother and a calf," park warden Bankim Sarma said.
The growing demand for rhino horns and its barter for arms by militants has turned into a big business. Rhino horns are bartered by militants with the poaching syndicates for purchase of arms.
"Karbi tribal militant groups (from Assam) and the NSCN-IM (Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland) are directly involved in the flourishing rhino poaching racket," Durlav Gogoi, a former poacher and now actively helping park authorities in combating the menace, said.
Saikia and another former poacher Motka Gogoi killed at least a dozen rhinos between themselves before they gave up poaching of rhinos a couple of years back.
"The NSCN-IM helped us with sophisticated weapons, including carbines and rifles, to hunt the rhino. We used to get Rs 3,000 at the most for shooting the rhino," Saikia said.
"There are suggestions to take the help of police and even the Army in combating poaching, especially to deal with the militants involved in such a racket. We would take stern measures after we get a report from a committee set up to review the situation," the Minister said.
This is the first time in a decade that the number of rhinos killed in a year has touched the double digit inside the 430 sq km park.
As per the latest figures, some 1,855 of the world's estimated 2,700 herbivores lumber around the wilds of Kaziranga -- their numbers ironically making the giant mammals a favourite target for poaching. Such was the pressure that between 1980 and 1997, some 550 rhinos were killed by poachers in the wilds of Kaziranga -- the highest being 48 being slaughtered in 1992.
There was a downslide in rhino poaching between 1998 and 2006 with just 47 rhinos being killed -- the decrease being attributed to intensive protection mechanisms and a better Intelligence network, coupled with support from villagers living on the periphery of the park. "The demand for the rhino has always been there and with the rhino population decreasing in other sanctuaries, especially in Nepal, the pressure is increasing on Kaziranga," the warden said.
<i>For any comments, queries or feedback, kindly mail us at pioneerletters@yahoo.co.in </i>