A total 2479 horns of the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros have been flamed today on the Eve of “World Rhino Day “,at Bokakhat in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma
Tezpur, (Assam) 22 Sept :
, (Assam) 22 Sept :
The Government of Assam has successfully countered poaching of wildlife under a Zero tolerance to Poaching approach.
The several conservation initiatives to protect the Greater One horned Rhinoceros have earned global accolades as the population grew from 1672 in 1999 to 2652 as per the 2018 census. This has contributed to the Greater One horned Rhino moving up the conservation ladder from ‘Endangered’ to Vulnerable’ tag under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
A historic event for rhino conservation is planned for September 22nd, , to consign to flames 2479 horns of the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros. Out of 2623 reconciled horns 94 are to be preserved. based on size and soundness of architecture and 29 to be kept for ongoing court cases. Among the samples being preserved the longest horn recorded is from Kamrup Treasury while the heaviest is from Nagaon. Samples for future genetic analysis were extracted from the rhino horns marked for destruction and preservation by drilling.
This act in a State having 71% of world’s population of One Horned Rhinoceros shall send a strong message to poachers that the horn is of no medicinal value and it’s trade is completely illegal Based on pure myths, with no scientific backing, rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Due to demand in some countries, poaching pressure on rhinos is ever persistent and it is intended that consigning rhino horns to flames will dispel these myths and send a strong message across the world. This is also a best practice to promote wildlife conservation and nowhere in the world has an exercise of such scale been undertaken in respect of the horns of dead Rhinos.
Prior to selecting the horns for consigning to flames, an elaborate process of reconciliation of rhino horns stored in seven treasuries had been carried out by a committee chaired by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam, with the help of a technical committee and seven respective zonal committees. The exercise was carried out in presence of civil society members, members from non-governmental organizations, media, police and district administration officials. The entire process is as per provision of Section 39(3)(c) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, wherein, a public hearing had also been carried out on 29 August 2021.
Assam Cabinet’s decision on September 16th, 21 in this regard is slated to be executed on 22 September 2022, World Rhino Day. Hon’ble Chief Minister’s demonstrative action and resolve is resonating as an exemplary step for wildlife conservation across the world.
Abstract of Rhino horn reconciliation
1. Rhino horns reconciled: 2623
2. Rhino horns marked for destruction: 2479
3. Rhino horns marked for preservation: 94
4. Horns implicated in court cases: 29
a) Genuine: 19
b) Fake: 10
5. Fake horns reconciled: 21
6. African hom reconciled: 15
7. Longest hom recorded: Anterior curvature = 57 Cm. Standing Height: 42.5 Cm.
8. Heaviest horn recorded: 3.05 Kgs.
9. Average standing height recorded: 13.77 Cm
10. Average weight of horns: 560 Grams.
11. Average basal circumference: 43.47 Cm
12. Weight of rhino horns for destruction: 1305.25 Kgs.
13. Weight of rhino horns for preservation: 131.05 Kgs.
