GUWAHATI/KOKRAJHAR: The All Bodo Students' Union (Absu) has asked the state forest department and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to take stringent measures to stop killing of rhinos at Manas National Park, which got back the World Heritage Site status in 2011.
A female rhino, which gave birth to a calf last month, was killed by poachers in the Kahitema area of Bansbari range of Manas on Wednesday. Its horn was also chopped off.
The Absu has also demanded that poachers involved in the killing should be booked without any delay. The poachers killed the rhino at a time when the influential Bodo students' body is on an awareness campaign drive against destruction of forest cover in Bodoland Territorial Area District and other parts of the state.
"The Absu will not tolerate killing of rhinos. One-horn rhinos are our pride. The animals should be protected at any cost. Both the state government and BTC should take stringent and foolproof measures to stop poaching," said Absu vice-president Jiron Basumatary.
On Wednesday, BTC deputy chief Kampa Borgoyary, who is also the in-charge of forest and tourism, said frequent killing of rhinos might create a negative impression about the state of wildlife conservation in Manas.
Four rhinos, all translocated from Pobitora and Kaziranga, were killed by poachers in Manas since 2011. Successful reintroduction of rhinos in Manas under Assam forest department's Indian Rhino Vision-2020 was one of the factors for getting back the World Heritage Site status.
Borgoyary demanded that poaching should be declared as problem of "law and order" and deployment of security forces should be enhanced to curb the menace.
