While poachers are always on the prowl in the jungles looking for “easy targets”, the rhinos in the wild are at risk of being poached.
“The rhinos are more vulnerable to poaching during the flood-like situation during the monsoon,” Amrit Bhuyan, superintendent of police of Darrang district, said.
The poachers may take the advantage of surrounding river route to enter the wild habitats, and there is every possibility of rhino straying out of the protected habitats during monsoon, Bhuyan said.
“So we should remain more vigilant during these days so that the rhinos straying out of wild habitats don’t become the victim of poaching,” the police official said.
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Bhuyan met the people of Silbori village near Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve on Thursday, and requested them to be vigilant.
The police official also spoke to the members of the Village Defence Party (VDP) of villages adjoining the Orang National Park.
Bhuyan was part of the distribution of field kits, each consisting of a pair of shoes, rain coat and a torch sponsored by wildlife NGO Aaranyak.
Lauding the role of the VDPs played in the successful anti-poaching campaigns led by the Forest and Police, the police official said the VDPs should work as a bridge between police and public.
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The field kit distribution function was held at the Range Office of the Orang National Park. Altogether 100 VDPs belonging to several fringe villages under Dalgaon and Shyampur Police Stations collected the kits.
The programme was presided over by Mukut Saikia, Deputy Adviser of VDP of Darrang. Ashok Dev Choudhury assistant conservator of forest, Mangaldai Wildlife Division and Bibhab Talukdar, CEO, Aaranyak also attended the programme.