Significant decline in Rhinos’ poaching in Assam since 2019: Choubey

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Monday said poaching/killing of rhinos has been controlled significantly in all rhino bearing Protected Areas in Assam since 2019.

The minister made this statement while citing the Assam government’s report, in response to a question in Lok Sabha by AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal on whether a large number of cases related to poaching/killing/death of rhinos and elephants in Assam specifically in Kaziranga National Park every year.

Choubey also said that the number of cases of elephant poaching in the Northeastern state has also been ‘insignificant’ since 2019.

On steps taken by the government to control poaching, the minister informed that legal protection has been provided to wild animals against hunting and commercial exploitation under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The Act provides for stringent punishments for wildlife offences. It also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicles or weapons that is used for committing wildlife offences.

According to the Minister, among other measures included,  the Central Bureau of Investigation has been empowered under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders.

The Ministry has also initiated Rhino DNA Indexing System to counter poaching threats to one-horned rhinoceros and aid population management, he added.