Poachers turn saviours in Manas Park

The Pioneer , Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Correspondent : Syed Zarir Hussain
Former poachers and militants are now custodians of a famed tiger reserve in Assam that is preparing to celebrate its centenary year in December.

The 519 sq km Manas National Park, also a tiger reserve, is all set for its four-day centenary celebrations beginning December 12 at the Bansbari Wildlife Range, 180 km west of Guwahati.

"It is indeed a matter of great relief and satisfaction that we are able to talk about celebrating the centenary year with the wildlife virtually fighting back from the brink of extinction," Assam's Chief Wildlife Warden MC Malakar said.

Manas, bordering the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, is home to 22 of the 41 endangered wildlife species listed in India's Wildlife (Protection) Act, including the rare pygmy hogs, the golden langur, tigers, one-horned rhinoceros, and wild Asiatic elephants.

According to the last census, there are some 65 tigers in Manas."We have planned a series of interesting events for the celebrations, including wildlife safaris, on vehicles and elephant rides, archery competitions, interaction with reformed poachers, besides lecture series," Malakar said.

For about thirteen years until 2003, the park was in the grip of heavily armed militants and poachers who hunted wildlife- killing tigers, rhinos, and elephants besides other smaller animals.

"The destruction of wildlife during the past decade was beyond imagination and many of never thought the animals would survive the onslaught," park warden Abhijit Rabha said.

During the past decade, up to 200 animals were mercilessly slaughtered inside Manas, either by tribal Bodo militants for food or by organised poaching gangs who hunted for wildlife.

Park authorities were forced to shut down two forest camps after militants killed 15 park rangers since trouble first broke out in the early 90s, besides closing down the sanctuary for visitors.

The situation was so grim that UNESCO, in 1992, listed Manas as a "World Heritage Site in Danger". But today, Manas is on a comeback trail with the Indian tiger beginning to roar once again, accompanied by elephants trumpeting frequently.

Things started looking up with a frontline rebel group, the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), signing a peace pact with the Indian Government last year.

Hundreds of militants surrendered before federal forces. There are police reports that BLT rebels also were involved in the slaughter of wildlife in Manas in tandem with another outlawed tribal Bodo separatist group, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).

But today, scores of surrendered BLT cadre have become saviours for these very animals they once hunted. "Many of them are employed as forest guards and tourist guides on a contractual basis and there has been no incident of poaching since 2003," Kampa Borgoyari, a former BLT leader and now the Executive Member in-charge of Forest and Tourism in the newly constituted Bodoland Territorial Council said.

 
SOURCE : Deccan Herald, Wednesday, November 2, 2005
 


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