Recent rhino poaching incidents in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary have prompted officials to discontinue its popular elephant safaris.

In an effort to protect greater one-horned rhino in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, elephant safaris – booked months in advance by tourists – have reportedly been halted.

Following the recent killings of two rhino in Jalapara, officials strongly suspect that rhino poachers have been posing as tourists to gain access to the core area of the sanctuary frequented by greater one-horned rhino.

Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) are generally found in deep impenetrable forest areas, thus traveling by elephant is the only way for tourists to sight these shy and elusive creatures.

Tour operators, who charge Rs 150 per elephant ride, are unhappy with the decision, according to the Times of India report.

Easy access to wild rhino

Jaldapara forest officials probably made the right decision: Similar scenarios have played out in South Africa and Nepal.

Earlier this year, a group of Vietnamese poachers posed as trophy hunting clients in order to kill rhino in South Africa. It was later confirmed that the horn had been been shipped back to Vietnam for illegal sale.

The incident prompted the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (PHASA) to discontinue booking hunts with nationals from Vietnam or other Far Eastern countries.

And in Nepal, conservation groups such as Empowering People for Rhino Conservation fear that the paths used by popular elephant rides into Chitwan National Park have created inroads for poachers.

In the prime zone of rhino habitat, for example in Icharni Tapu and Beeshazari lake of Chitwan National, tourists have free and easy access to visit. Guides and ‘Mahute’ (elephant rider) used to penetrate the habitat, creates several paths inside prime habitat of wildlife to show rhinos and tigers.

Protecting wild rhino

Rhino poaching now stands at a 15-year high, threatening to undermine decades of dedicated work by conservationists.

The biggest danger to the survival of wild rhino is the demand in Asian countries (mainly China) for rhino horn – due to unfortunate superstitions that attribute medicinal properties to the horn. Now that a multitude of citizens are experiencing rising incomes in China’s current economy, rhino horn is suddenly affordable.

And organized poaching syndicates will stop at nothing to fulfill these orders.

Perhaps it is time to tighten all security measures when it comes to giving anyone – even tourists and tour operators – access to wild rhino.

Image: flickr.com/lipkee/ / CC BY-SA 2.0