Forest guards entrusted to protect rhinos from poachers in Orang National Park are fighting an uphill battle against a deadly combination of obstacles.

Despite repeated attempts to apprehend poachers in Assam’s Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, forest guards continue to be outdone by a seemingly insurmountable set of circumstances: Local villagers who work in collaboration with poachers, a lack of manpower and firepower – and a possible link between poachers and corrupt government officials.

While any one of these issues could be enough to derail anti-poaching efforts, the combination has made protecting the park’s rhinos nearly impossible.

More than a quarter of Orang’s rhinos lost to poachers

According to a recent TRAFFIC study, Orang National Park lost more than a quarter of its fragile greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) population over a two-year span.

In Assam’s Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP, 18 rhinos were killed from 2007 through October 2009, which worryingly represents over 25% of the population.

And 2010 is already off to a disappointing start: Two rhinos were killed in Orang National Park this month, reducing the population to about 58 rhinos. First, a female rhino was killed the second week of January 2010. Earlier this week, a male rhino who was found alive but with his horn hacked out; he died shortly thereafter.

One step forward, two steps back: The killing of the male rhino occurred just a day after police arrested a middleman in Mangaldoi, who revealed that he was to set up a meeting between sellers and a group of rhino horn buyers from Bhutan.

Local villagers assisting poachers

A major issue facing the Orang forest guard is the locals. Villagers who occupy the surrounding area continue to confound the efforts of park authorities by helping and housing the poachers.

They (poachers) have built a relationship with the villagers over the years which helps them to strike with impunity.

In fact, the four rhino poachers who were recently captured were found after they scattered into various nearby villages.

Four poachers were apprehended from different villages located along the periphery of the smallest national park in the state.

Not enough firepower or manpower

Forest guards are woefully outmatched when it comes to weaponry. Mangaldoi wildlife division DFO noted via The Telegraph in early 2009 that forest personnel are carrying rifles, whereas poachers are equipped with the latest firepower.

We have .315 rifles whereas they come with automatic rifles.

To make matters worse, the 31 anti-poaching camps are severely understaffed.

The park also lacks enough manpower. The total manpower required to guard the 31 anti-poaching camps is 186 but the park has just 67.

Shortly after the March 24, 2009 park census counted just 64 rhinos, Orang NP authorities pleaded for air surveillance to help locate poachers in the thick cover of the forest. A park source was quoted as saying that tracking poachers on foot was not sufficient.

Once the armed criminals are inside the park, it is difficult to track them down. The thick and tall grasses inside the park provide them natural cover and they are difficult to detect.

With a helicopter, I can at least spot them and then direct the field staff to act.

The request for the helicopter was denied.

A link between a dead poacher and government officials?

In October 2009, Orang forest guards prevailed: A well-known poacher and his accomplice were shot dead. Unfortunately, the murderers managed to kill a rhino beforehand, but at least the rhino’s horn was reportedly recovered and thus did not enter the illegal market.

The poacher – who had been released from jail just 10 days earlier – was identified as Harmuj Ali. The two men were apparently on their way to “the hub of wildlife crime”: Dimapur in Nagaland.

And – wildlife authorities suspect that corrupt government officials in Nagaland had ties to Ali.

Sleuths of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau have also traced a few government officials in Nagaland from whose phone calls were made to the slain poacher just before and after the encounter.

Officials had hoped that the death of Ali would curb poaching in the park, as he was considered the “mastermind” of wildlife crime in the Orang area. However, if Nagaland officials are indeed connected to the poaching network, it may help explain why poaching activity has not suffered so much as a hiccup.

Nagaland shares a border with Myanmar, where illegal wildlife trafficking is rife. Earlier this month, TRAFFIC reported that two suspects were arrested in China after 1 kg of rhino horn was confiscated by Tengchong customs authorities. The suspects claimed they had purchased the horn in Myanmar.

Indian Rhino Vision 2020

Orang National Park currently has a target population goal of 100 rhinos as part of the International Rhino Foundation’s Indian Rhino Vision 2020.

Orang is also a place where rhinos will be translocated under the India Rhino Vision. The programme states that Orang may be able to achieve its target population of 100 through improved protection.

The International Rhino Foundation‘s Indian Rhino Vision 2020 aims to increase the greater one-horned rhino population to 3,000. This includes translocation of rhinos over seven national parks to more evenly distribute the population. The program is being carried out with WWF and the Government of India.

Orang National Park has a long road ahead to achieve its goal of 100 rhinos – and it remains to be seen if park officials will receive the necessary support to protect the few precious residents that remain.

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

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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