From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Drone aircrafts will soon hover over the world famous Kaziranga National Park (KNP) to keep a tab on movements of animals besides tracking the movement of poachers.
The Union Ministry for Environment and Forest has ordered for introduction of Drones at the KNP in the wake of the death of a record number of one-horned rhinoceros in the Park this year. An estimated 65 rhinos have died in Kaziranga Park this year including 20 killed by poachers.
Union Minister for Environment and Forest , Jayanthi Natarajan had came to Kaziranga Park to take stock of the situation in October this year in the wake of killing of so many rhinos by poachers. The unmanned drone aircraft’s use in Kaziranga Park is being sponsored as a pilot project on use of unmanned small aircraft for surveillance under the centrally funded Project Tiger scheme.
Apart from the largest population of the one horned Indian rhinoceros in the world, the KNP also has the largest population density of the Royal Bengal Tigers per 100 sq km as per the latest camera trap survey conducted by Assam Forest Department.
The history of conservation in Kaziranga dates back to 1904. The rivers, streams and the beels inside the park are ideal habitat for the fresh water fishes, reptiles and other aquatic forms of life. The lush green grassland supports a large number of herbivores that in turn supports a very high density of tigers.
There are approximately 35 species of mammals, 500 species of avifauna, 60 species of reptiles, 24 species of amphibians, 42 species of pisces and 491 species of butterflies. 440 species of plants has also been recorded from Kaziranga.