By Nava Thakuria
If you cannot protect the prized greater Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis, dehorn them to save the animals from the poachers, as the species faces persistent survival threats for their horns- this is the logic seemingly taken by Assam government. The northeast Indan State with over 2550 one-horned rhinos in its various forest reserves has virtually decided to adopt the theory of trimming horns or dehorning the rhinos and invited public opinion in this respect.
Meanwhile, alarming rate of poaching in the protected forest reserves of Assam has ignited more wildlife lovers and civil society groups to come to the streets expressing the apprehension about the very survival of the rhinos. Till the third week of March, ten rhinos were killed in various forest reserves of Assam and in every case the poacher succeeded in snatching away the horns, for which the bulky animal is being poached.The previous year witnessed the killing of 40 rhinos in various forest reserves of Assam. Similarly 2012 recorded the incidents of poaching of 22 rhinos, that only shows that the poachers become more dangerous and disparate for the money they earn after selling the rhino horns in illegal markets of China, Vietnam and now also in Australia.
Though the biological scientists categorically deny any imperative value of the rhino horn, which is an amalgamation of hairs grown on the nose of the animal that should not contain any medicinal or more precisely aphrodisiac value, the market of the organ in eastern Asia is still growing.
The rhinos in Assam are spreading in various protected forest reserves
including Kaziranga National Park (2329), Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (100), Rajib Gandhi Orang National Park (95) and Manas National Park (22) leaving aside few individuals in zoos. The animal is protected under India’s powerful wildlife protection act that has been under implementation since 1972.
Various organisations have opposed the theory and two major conservation groups of Assma have come out with strong statements against the initiative. Nature’s Beckon, an active wildlife conservation group has denounced the ‘conservation tactic without proper research’ and warned that the practice of dehorning of rhinos may have ‘negative implication in the breeding of the animals in the days to come’.
“As per the available research findings, we can argue that the horn of the rhino has its specific role in the ecology and behavior of the species. It cannot be distinguished as a vestigial part of the body. Though the evolutionary significance of horns in rhinos is not entirely clear, it may include mate choice as well as anti-predator defence.
It is known that rhinos use their horns for several behavioral functions, including defending territories, defending calves from other rhinos and predators, maternal care and foraging behavior,” said Soumyadeep Datta, director of Nature’s Beckon.
The act of dehorning (of rhinos) is debated for more than a decade across the world, but the efficacy of the process remains unknown. Rather the dehorning of rhinos in Africa has shown negative implications on the biological growth of the animal.
“Without knowing the future implication of the dehorning process, we should not justify the practice as a preserving tactics. If the government is serious enough to save the rhinos from poachers, the legal authorities should be empowered with people’s participatory approach to the mission,” added Datta.
Moreover, the cutting of horns belonged to living rhinos needs an expert hand, which Assam does not have at this moment. The Assam forest department had a shameful experience in March 2013, when the forest officials cut the horn of a stray rhino in Majuli river island. It resulted in the death of the animal because of excessive bleeding.
Aaranyak, another leading biodiversity conservation group of the region also echoed similar views. Bibhab Talukdar, secretary general of Aaranyak argues that dehorning of rhinos should be the last option to protect the animals from poachers.
“We feel that protection measures must be strengthened on a priority basis to protect the rhinos and other wildlife. Dehorning is not the ultimate solution to check poaching, but it may be a strategy to buy time like the African nations,” said Talukdar.
Talukdar also said that dehorning would only shift the problem from few dehorned individuals to the others. Hence considering the current socio-political scenario in Assam, we urge the government not to take up dehorning as a measure for rhino protection, he observed.
Earlier various students and civil society groups namely All Assam Students’ Union, Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity, All India Students’ Federation, Kaziranga Wildlife Society, Journalists’ Forum, Assam with many other conscious organisations have condemned the government for its failure to protect the precious animals in various forest reserves.
The chorus was joined by the political parties including Asom Gana Parishad, Bhartiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India, CPI (Marxist), All India United Democratic Front among others staging street demonstrations and burning effigies of State forest minister Rockybul Hussain and also chief minister Tarun Gogoi frequently to raise voices for a high level probe into the poaching of wildlife in the region.
“Political will is essential for protection of wildlife including the prized rhinos which is lagging here in Assam. Just look at our neighbour Nepal, which has recorded ‘no poaching of wildlife’ in the last 12 months even though the country has limited resource although it is facing severe socio-political crisis for many years,” said Rupam Barua, an environmental journalist based in Assam.
Nepal, which has 100 one-horned rhinos with other wild animals, enjoyed ‘a zero poaching of tigers, rhinos and elephants’ during the period between February 2013 and February 2014. Quoting Megh Bahadur Pandey, director general of Nepal’s national parks & wildlife conservation department, the media reported on the success story of Nepal.
Compared to Nepal, Assam State is peaceful, large and it is financially supported by the Union government, argued Barua adding, “But it lacks the much needed political will that has surfaced with the unchecked slaughtering of wild animals in Assam in recent years.”
(The author is Secretary, Asia Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists)
