The CBI has now taken over the investigation into the rampant killing of rhinos in Assam’s famed Kaziranga national park and other wildlife sanctuaries. State home minister Rockybul Hussain told reporters that the Centre communicated this in a letter to the state government. He expressed the hope that the country’s top investigative agency would soon be able to book the culprits and bust the conspiracy, if any, behind these killings.
A CBI joint director, Mr Kehsab Kumar, will hold a day-long workshop for officials here, Mr Hussain said.
In the wake of frequent attacks by poachers in wildlife sanctuaries, Mr Hussain said a team of experts from the Wildlife Institute of India and WWF Switzerland would arrive on Monday to conduct test-flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for surveillance at Kaziranga. He added, though, that the defence ministry was get to give its clearance for UAV flights for wildlife surveillance.
“We have invited Dr K. Ramesh a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India, and Dr Christy Williams, WWF’s Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy coordinator, to do the UAV test flights at Kaziranga,” the minister said. The National Tiger Conservation Authority had also agreed to hold a training programme for field directors of 20 tiger reserves at Kaziranga on April 20, he added.
Highlighting a rhino conservation success story, Mr Hussain said a mother rhino had given birth to a female calf at Manas National Park, after being relocated there from the Kaziranga rhino rescue centre in 2007.