 Reference Base  The current state of rhino in Assam and threats in the 21... |
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Talukdar, B.K., 2000. The current state of rhino in Assam and threats in the 21st century. Pachyderm 29: 39-47, fig. 1, photos 1-5, tables 1-6
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| Location: |
Asia - South Asia - India |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Poaching |
| Species: |
Indian Rhino |
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However, poaching remains the major threat to these rhinos. Poachers have used various methods to kill rhinos; those used since 1987 are summarized in table 2.
From 1987 to March 2000, poachers killed 45 rhinos 22 males and 23 females, 21 inside the sanctuary and 24 outside it. Talukdar (1999) discussed factors affecting the status and conservation of rhinos in Pabitora. It has been monitored that 25 to 30 rhinos strayed out of the sanctuary during winter from November until March and raided crops of the adjacent villages. To solve this problem, the government of Assam expanded the area of Pabitora from 16 kmy to 38.84 kmy in 1999 to provide the rhinos with more grazing area. The success of the present range officer in Pabitora, who joined the sanctuary in 1997 to control poaching and whose work has been recognized and lauded (Vigne and Martin 1998), is summarized in table 3.
Table 2. Rhino poaching and anti-poaching results in Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Year Poached Poached Total Horns Poacher Arms Ammunitio
inside outside poached arrested recovered recovered
PWLS PWLS recovered
e = electrocution; b=bullet; p=poisoning; *2000 to September 2000
1987 2p nil 2 nil 1 1 nil
1988 lb 2b 3 nil nil nil nil
1989 le le,2b 4 nil nil 1 nil
1990 lb lb 2 nil nil nil nil
1991 nil lb 1 nil nil nil nil
1992 nil 2e,lb 3 nil nil 1 2
1993 lb 3b 4 nil nil nil nil
1994 le 3e 4 2 5 nil nil
1995 2b nil 2 nil nil nil nil
1996 2e,lb 2e 5 nil nil nil nil
1997 2b lb 3 nil nil nil nil
1998 le,lb 2b 4 1 2 1 2
1999 3b 3e 6 1 28 20 102
2000* 2b 0 2 0 6 2 nil
TOT 2p,5e, 14b 11e,13b 45 4 42 26 106
Table 3. Anti-poaching success in Pabitora
Date Activity
1997: Nov-Dec Arrested a poacher with handmade ammunition; arrested another inside the sanctuary
1998: October Recovered rhino horn from a rhino poacher; after questioning him, arrested 3 other poachers and took 4 muzzle-loading guns from them. Also recovered a .315 rifle, which had been seized in 1994 from the forest guard of Kamarpur Camp, Pabitora, whom the poachers had killed.
1999: January Arrested 2 poachers and recovered 2 rifles, a .500 and a .303, with ammunition.
1999: May Arrested 8 poachers and recovered 1 carbine, 1 self-loaded rifle, 3 rifles .500 bore, 5 muzzle-loading guns, 2 pistols, 2 single-barrel and 3 double-barrel shotguns, with huge amounts of ammunition.
1999: September Arrested a poacher and recovered a double-barrel shotgun with ammunition.
2000: February Led an anti-poaching party and arrested a poacher in Santipur village, near Pabitora, recovering a muzzle-loading gun from his house. One associate was arrested from Marigaon District and 2 were arrested in Kuthuri village, near Nelli. Recovered a .500-bore rifle.
Anti-poaching activities have been under the leadership of Range Officer Mrigen Barua.
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