The Assam government, on Wednesday, burnt nearly 2500 rhino horns in a ceremony at Bokakhat in the State’s Golaghat district.
A total of 2479 rhino horns were put on fire by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
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The rhino horns were burnt on the occasion of World Rhino Day to bust myths associated with it and prevent poaching of the animal.
The stockpiles of the 2479 rhino horns were put to flames in six giant furnaces.
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Up into Flames. 2466 stock pole Rhino horns consigned into flames in Bokakhat Assam. Burning of Rhino is objected to dispel the myth and the clandestine trade of Rhino horns.#Assam @himantabiswa pic.twitter.com/NqPhZBLPwB
— Kamalika Sengupta (@KamalikaSengupt) September 22, 2021
Assam forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya said: “Never before such a huge stockpile of one-horned rhino horns have been consigned to flames thus spreading the message loud and clear that rhino horns are no aphrodisiac and the myth has to be busted to put an end to poaching of the majestic & magnificent rhinos once and for all.”
He added: “The exercise is a milestone towards rhino conservation aimed at busting myths about rhino horns.”
On September 16, the Assam cabinet unanimously decided to publicly burn 2467 pieces of rhino horns out of 2,623 rhino horns stockpiled in state treasuries.
While 94 rhino horns will be kept and preserved as heritage pieces for academic purposes and public viewing.