Three national parks in the Indian state of Assam have been struck by rhino horn trafficking gangs in less than ten days, resulting in the deaths of four rhinos and one gang member.
This latest killing spree has raised the 2013 rhino death toll to at least 32, compared to a total of 21 rhinos killed in Assam in 2012.
Manas National Park lost its fourth rhino of 2013 when a mother rhino was gunned down by an AK series rifle in the heavily encroached Bhuyanpara range in the eastern part of the park. The incident followed the fatal shooting of a rhino horn smuggling suspect identified as Sabi Bor, one of the people believed to be responsible for the rhino’s death. Villagers retaliated against Bor’s death by burning down one of the park’s anti-poaching camps. Field staff are monitoring the health of the orphaned rhino calf, although a “growing presence of armed militants” in Manas National Park, possibly linked to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), has raised safety concerns about NGOs working in the park.
Orang National Park suffered its first rhino casualty of this year on November 3. A rhino was killed when he wandered outside the park into Nisalamari village on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, according to the Times of India. The killers apparently took advantage of firecracker noise during Diwali festivities to mask the sound of gunfire.
Meanwhile, two rhinos were gunned down in two separate incidents inside Kaziranga National Park, which had just re-opened on November 1, following the annual monsoon season closure. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the October 30 killing, and police confiscated a .303 rifle and ammunition. The Telegraph reports that 26 rhinos have been killed in Kaziranga National Park since the beginning of the year.
Rhino horns obtained in India are generally destined for China. Listen to the Rhino Horn Trafficking in India podcast with Dr. Bibhab Talukdar, Chair of the IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group and founder of the NGO Aaranyak, to learn more.
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.