Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The principal bench of NGT (National Green Tribunal) has impleaded the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam Aranya Bhawan, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Wildlife Institute of India, and the Zoological Survey of India on the fast declining population of critically endangered feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam.
Feral horses have survived in the wild for nearly 80 years, and the national park is the only place in India where these horses can be found.
The original application is registered suo motu on the basis of the news item that appeared on November 5, 2024.
As per the news item, these horses are believed to be descendants of war horses from World War II, while other theories suggest they could be descendants of China’s Przewalski’s horses. The article cites smuggling, habitat loss, shrinking grazing lands, floods, and neglect by conservation authorities as the alleged causes behind the dwindling number of these horses.
The news item alleges that in 2020, the authorities allegedly apprehended a truck trying to smuggle six feral horses. It quotes that since feral horses are not covered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, they are not considered wild animals; therefore, even upon arrest, getting a conviction becomes difficult. Furthermore, there has been no regular census of the horses, which makes it challenging to ascertain their conservation status. It also highlights that the frequent flooding of the Brahmaputra River not only damages the grazing grounds but also exacerbates the erosion of the park’s land, reducing space for the horses to survive. The horses are also under threat from reduced biodiversity in their ecosystem, which further limits food availability. Apart from that, various human activities and cattle farms from nearby forest villages degrade their habitat. Conservationists argue that without urgent intervention, these unique animals face extinction.
“The above matter indicates violation of the provisions of the Air Biodiversity Act, 2002, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986,” the bench said.
The bench issued notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the Eastern Zonal Bench of the Tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing on February 27, 2025.
Also Read: 'No feral horses lost their lives in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park'
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