Kaziranga National Park , which houses two thirds of the world’s one –horned rhino population is under is under tremendous threat from poachers with the increased demand of rhino horns in the international markets for its supposed medicinal properties and in order to control the government has decided to create Assam Forest protection Force exclusively to be deployed in the 430 Sq.km national park and also to take up with the user countries to take action against its illegal use. Pranab Kumar Das Reports :Between October and Feb,04th this year at least half a dozen of rhinos have been poached from the national park and park authorities say it is impossible to guard the entire stretch of the of the park as poachers are always on the lookout for a fresh kill and a warlike situation prevails with the forest trying check the entry of the poachers to the park which is wide open.
The park at present houses 2,048 rhinos , the highest in the world and also has the highest population of Swamp deer and Wild Buffalos in the world apart from the other species . Officials involved in the anti poaching operations say that poaching of rhinos say that after the operations , the poachers move to the neighbouring states and finally smuggle it outside the country and other states should also play an effective role to control poaching.
Poaching has increased in the recent months for its huge demand in South Asia as the horn composed of keratin fiber is believed to have aphrodisiac value and can fetch up to Rs.1.5 million per kg in the international markets which are smuggled to South Asian countries through Moreh border in Manipur.
