Mail News Service
New Delhi, Sep 27 : The Minister for Environment and Forests, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan has ordered that an immediate investigation be conducted into this incident by a team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. She has desired that the investigation should be completed within one week, and the perpetrators brought to justice. The Minister has also written to Assam Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi asking for all assistance in this regard and to prevent future incidents.
The Minister said “I am shocked and distressed by the callous exploitation by unscrupulous poachers of the natural disaster of floods and of helpless animals fleeing to find safe shelter. I am determined to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice and that such incidents do not recur in future”.
In view of the reports of poaching of rhino horn as a result of poachers targeting rhinos fleeing the flooded areas of Kaziranga National Park requiring immediate action, the Ministry of Environment & Forests has constituted a team of officers to inquire into the reported killings of Rhinos by poachers in Assam. The team consists of Shri C. Behra, Regional Deputy Director, Eastern Region, Kolkata; Shri A.K. Jha, Assistant Director (Intelligence), BHQ, Delhi; Shri L. Kuruvilla, Assistant Director, SR, Chennai; and Shri K.K. Sarma, Wildlife Inspector, NR, Delhi.
The team will immediately reach the spot to start investigations. The team will also seek assistance from the local agencies in detailed investigation of the case and conduct inter-agency coordination to trace the culprits and bust the networks involved.
A day after a female rhino was killed for its horn by poachers, another female rhino was killed in the wee hours today at Karbi Hills in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.
Irked by the acts of the poachers, the Paresh Barua led anti-talk faction of ULFA condemned it and accused the Tarun Gogoi government of failing to protect the heritage of Assam while All Assam Students Union (AASU), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad and Krishak Mukti Sangram Parishad blocked the National Highway 37 in protest against the killing rhinos. They also burnt the effigies of chief minister Tarun Gogoi and state forest minister Rockybul Hussain.
“The state government and its Forest department have failed to protect the rhinos and now it is the duty of the people to take necessary steps to protect the animals,” a statement e-mailed by ULFA said.
So far 15 rhinos have been killed in Assam this year.
It may be recalled here that on Wednesday poachers had chopped off a rhino’s horn and also its right ear as the animal struggled after being shot. The animal had died only at around 5 pm.
Yesterday’s incident occurred near the fame Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The animal was a full grown female rhino.
On September 16, the poachers had killed a rhino for its horn in Assam.
Due to the present floods, about 85% of the area in Kaziranga National Park including 125 anti-poaching camps have been affected. Because of this, large number of animals in the park have strayed. Altogether 22 animals have been killed in the park due to the present floods.
The Assam flood has affected 13 districts with lakhs of people finding hardship.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/natarajan-orders-probe-into-rhino-poaching/
