The Assam government on Thursday tied up with the Border Security Force (BSF) for providing manpower and intelligence assistance in protecting rhinos and tigers in the world-famous Kaziranga National Park which has witnessed incidents of poaching in the past few days.
"Though we have about 500 guards to guard Kaziranga, we occasionally take help of other agencies. In this case, there is a BSF unit at Panbari, close to Kaziranga, which has agreed to extend help in checking poaching and other wildlife crimes," V K Vishnoi, principal chief conservator of forests, Assam told The Indian Express.
Kaziranga has lost two rhinos to poachers this year, while a third rhino was killed by villagers on the fringes of the national park last month. Home to over 2,000 rhinos and at least 86 tigers, Kaziranga has been on the radar of an international poachers' and smugglers' network, prompting the authorities to keep maximum vigil.
Vishnoi said the BSF would not only provide manpower for patrolling both inside and outside the 860 sq km national park, but also provide its dog squad located at Panbari to help track down poachers. It was only on Tuesday that poachers shot a rhino and managed to take away its horn.
"Our primary objective is to bring poaching incidents to the zero level and create an environment where poachers and other criminals do not dare to stare at Kaziranga," Vishnoi said.
Kaziranga, he said, had lost six rhinos to poaching last year.
