 Reference Base  Successful rhino conservation continues in West Bengal, I... |
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| Location: |
Asia - South Asia - India |
| Subject: |
Trade |
| Species: |
Indian Rhino |
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Gorumara National Park (80 km2) and Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary (216.5 km2) are situated in northern West Bengal close to the borders of five countries, including China, where demand for rhino horn, along with Vietnam, has been greatly increasing this decade. Yet since 1990 the rhino populations in these two protected areas have
continued to rise, with 43 and 150 rhinos respectively, and poaching of the greater one-horned rhino has been extremely low. The central and State governments of India have continued to allocate large sums of money for their protection, with field staff of nearly two per square kilometre who are committed and well motivated.
They are receiving respectable salaries that keep up with inflation; their amenities have improved for patrol work, with more trained elephants and watch towers; and staff now have mobiles, improving security for both rhinos and guards in their remote hardship posts. The second major reason for success has been the continued
improving relations of wildlife personnel with local villagers. They work closely together, with rhino awareness programmes, with eco-projects and eco-tourist enterprises that can benefit the villagers, enabling them to reduce
their need for forest resources. The fringe villagers understand that by protecting rhinos from poachers, more success in anti-poaching efforts, with field staff and villagers supporting one another towards this mutual goal, can be emulated by other rhino range States.
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