239 one-horned rhinos poached in Assam in past 16 years
Assam Forest Minister disclosed the information on the floor of Assam assembly during the budget session on Thursday.
Replying a question of Congress MLA Ajanta Neog during the question hour in assembly, Assam Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma said that poachers killed 239 rhinos in the state from 2001 to July 2016.
“The moral of the forest staff is very low. But we have taken possible measures to protect wild animals including one-horn rhinos in the state. We have taken stern actions against poachers,” Brahma said.
“We need to modernize equipment, to give uniforms, shoes to frontline forest staff,” the minister said.
The minister also said that the state forest department has decided to probe the rhino killing incidents and to give all rhino killing cases to National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The minister said that 661 poachers, who were involved in rhino killing incidents, have been apprehended during the period.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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