Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has assembled the country’s high level security personnel, seeking action to stop the rise in rhino poaching.
The alarming increase in rhino poaching inside Chitwan National Park has prompted Nepal’s Prime Minister to call a meeting of high level security officials from the ministries of forest, home and defense.
In the last two months, seven rhinos have died as a result of poaching activity in Chitwan National Park – including a young calf who died after its mother was killed. There have reportedly been 28 rhinos killed in the last 11 months.
PM tells security officials to ‘stop the blame game’
In a meeting expected to continue for at least two days, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal reportedly told those in attendance to stop pointing fingers and start communicating.
The PM called all the authorities concerned to stop the blame game and coordinate better to save the endangered species.
The Prime Minister took action by finalizing a directive to form the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau that had been proposed a few months ago.
The file has already been submitted to cabinet and prime minister had directed to finalise it instantly.
In addition, Park authorities met with Chitwan National Park buffer zone management to present a plan for recruiting young people as paid informants.
Up to 50 of them will be recruited. Their salary expenses will be shared equally by the government and the buffer zone management committee.
Buffer zone residents could make valuable informants by identifying new faces in the community, and by recognizing and reporting suspicious activity.
Poaching due to ‘lapse in park security’
According to The Himalayan Times, the reason for the rise in rhino poaching is a lapse in park security, which is the responsibility of the Nepal Army.
The army chief accepted that the reason for rising number of rhino deaths is security lapses in park territory. He committed to punishing army officials handling the wildlife directorate in the headquarters, as well as the battalion in the Chitwan National Park.
Brigadier General Yagya Bikram Rana responded by forming an inquiry team to further investigate the situation and committed to punishing the responsible parties.
Poachers turn to Nepal after anti-poaching action in India
Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation, Deepak Bohara noted via the Hindustan Times that India’s recent crackdown on rhino poachers may have driven the criminals to Nepal.
When there is pressure on poachers in Kaziranga, they turn to Chitwan and vice-versa.
Recently, four rhino poachers were killed and seven rhino poachers were arrested by Kaziranga forest guards.
However, 19 rhino poachers and horn traders were sentenced in Nepal last month, and just a few weeks ago, Nepalese authorities arrested a rhino horn smuggler near the Nepal-India border.
The greater one-horned rhino in Nepal
Nepal is home to approximately 435 greater one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis). This Asian rhino species was recently reclassified from Endangered to Vulnerable by the IUCN. Although the worldwide population is just 2,800, the numbers are steadily increasing from a low of 200 greater one-horned rhinos.
Rhinos under threat
All five species of rhinos remain under threat, due to demand for rhino horn in China and Vietnam. The demand is fueled by cultural superstitions that attribute healing powers to rhino horn – despite the fact that scientific analysis has proven rhino horn has no medicinal effect on humans.
Raising public awareness in Nepal
Saving Rhinos helps Partnership for Rhino Conservation – a grassroots group in Nepal – by selling rhino t-shirts. The proceeds help pay for PARC’s educational materials and sponsoring PARC’s public awareness events.
Learn more about Partnership for Rhino Conservation, Nepal (PARC/Nepal).
Sources: The Himalayan Times; Republica; Hindustan Times
Photo: flickr.com/shicks/
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