Despite tight vigilance there has been steep rise in the rhino poaching cases in the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park(ONP). Heavy presence of forest guards has been failing to stop the entry of rhino poachers in to the famed abode of one horn rhinos. Very recently, police have received some stunning clues of the entire poaching network when they interrogated a few poachers from the vicinity of the national park during the last couple of months.
A growing market of rhino horn has been encouraging the nefarious network and it would no die down as long as the international market remains. Taking serious note on the poaching activities in ONP a group of wildlife loving people under the banner of "Anti-Forest Activities Protection Committee " has come forward led by MushabirulHaque as President Joynel Abedin and BaharulHaque as Secretary the wildlife lovers held a anti-poaching and anti forest activities awareness camp at Bechimari village on Saturday located on the fringes of the national park.
The awareness programme was presided by Silbari Village panchayat president Abu BakkarSiddique,Mangaldoi wildlife divisional forest officer Sunnydeo Choudhury Budhin Hazarika Principal Kharupetia College among others attended the programme. The programme where the strategies to stop the local youths from poaching activities was discussed was also attended by village headman, members of VDP and activists of Darrang AMSU.
MushabirulHaquesaid,"The first and foremost responsibility to protect the resources of the national park lies on the hand of villagers.The villagers should protect the national park from the hands of poachers." It is to be mentioned that ONP, also known as mini Kaziranga, lost its first rhino to poachers this year so far after the carcass with horn missing was recovered on June 30. The park recorded zero poaching last year after several poaching attempts were foiled by the officials. In 2014 one rhino was poached in Orang. The park spread over 79.28 sq km has 100-odd rhinos. Orang as a tiger habitat covers an area of 492.46 sq km.
