Collection of rhino horn DNA data in Kaziranga for wildlife crime investigation

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: September 22, 2021, observed as World Rhino Day, marked a historic moment for the state of Assam. On this day, a total of 2,479 rhino horns stored in various treasuries across the state were ceremonially burnt. The event was conducted at the public playground in Bokakhat under the leadership of Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The primary objective behind this initiative was to dispel the myth among the public that rhino horns possessed medicinal value, thereby aiming to eliminate superstitions. A portion of the collected horns was preserved in Kaziranga for scientific research purposes.

The forest department has now initiated the systematic extraction of DNA from these preserved horns using modern scientific methods. This process is being carried out under tight security at the Centenary Celebration Hall located within the Kohora forest range of Kaziranga National Park, in the presence of experts and observers.

According to Arun Vignesh, Divisional Forest Officer of Kaziranga National Park, once the DNA samples are collected, they will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun. There, skilled scientists will analyze and store the DNA data.

The forest officer further mentioned that if a rhino horn is ever seized in the future, this database can help trace the horn’s origin. This initiative will significantly aid in investigations and research, particularly in the field of wildlife crime and conservation science.

A special committee has been formed under the leadership of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of Assam. This committee includes two genetic experts each from the Wildlife Institute of India and the prominent NGO Aaranyak, along with four independent observers. The programme began on Thursday under this committee’s supervision.

On the other hand, Dr Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga National Park, stated that the work is extremely important and must be conducted with precision. Therefore, every step is being executed meticulously by the experts. Since data collection involves over 2,000 horns, the process is expected to take more than a week.

It is also worth mentioning that the ashes of the burnt rhino horns were used to construct three rhino statues with calves at the Mihimukh entrance of Kaziranga National Park’s central forest area, symbolizing a new era of awareness and conservation.

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