Update on Poaching in North India

Posted by Dawn M. Smith Jul 31, 2007

Kaziranga is the oldest national park in India and it has enjoyed a long history of cooperation with nearby villages. This year, as the worst poaching in a decade is occurring, a local Village Defence Party (VDP) is aiding the park in protecting the Indian one-horned rhinoceros population. Kaziranga is home to nearly 80% of the world’s one-horned rhinos, with 1,800 animals counted in the 2005 census. Village Defence Parties are volunteers authorized by the state guard their villages at night.

So far, ten rhino have been killed by poachers, one poacher has been shot by park authorities and two poachers captured by the VDP. The villagers have several reasons to be involved. They are very proud to have such a vigorous rhino population in their area. They have been supported by the park staff and the staff at the Wildlife Trust of India’s Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation in their efforts to co-exist with the animals that wander out of the park. And park staff is often hired from the community so the wardens risking their lives to stop poaching are neighbors, friends or family.

Monsoon season makes it easier for poachers to capture and kill the animals, as they are concentrated in areas that are not flooded, some of which are very close to major roads. And it also makes capturing the poachers more difficult as flood waters may separate the various teams of park wardens and police from each other, delaying the arrival of backup help.

The effort made by the local community in protecting Kaziranga’s rhinos is an example of how powerful citizen involvement in wildlife conservation can be.