Guwahati, Oct 9: Members of Village Defence Parties (VDPs) from Morigaon district of Assam whose contributions have been instrumental in protection of wildlife especially the one-horned rhinoceros, have been provided with essential field gear in a programme held at Mayong Police Station in the district on Wednesday.
Fifty members from 25 VDPs were provided with essential field gear – torchlights and raincoats — to enhance their efforts in wildlife protection and monitoring particularly for safeguarding the one-horned rhino of nearby Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in presence of Superintendent of Police (SP) Hemanta Kumar Das and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dhrubajyoti Nath.
The field gear presentation programme was organised by premier biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) in collaboration with the Morigaon District Police.
Supported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), this initiative aims to address challenges related to wildlife straying, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching.
During the event, VDP members shared their experiences of dealing with rhino-related conflicts in Mayong area in the district, including a recent tragic incident where a rhino killed a man.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) Das discussed strategies to reduce such conflicts by understanding animal behaviour and taking precautionary measures. He also thanked Aaranyak for their valuable support.
Addressing the gathering the CEO and Secretary General of Aaranyak Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar lauded the VDP members for their dedication. He noted that their vigilance had ensured that no poaching incident occurred in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in the past eight years and encouraged them to maintain their high-level of commitment.
The VDP members expressed gratitude to both Aaranyak and the Morigaon District Police for their continuous support and expressed hope for similar assistance in the future.
Aaranyak’s Rhino Research and Conservation Division (RRCD) officials including Manager Arif Hussain, Kakali Baishya, and Ujjal Bayan also attended the event. Arif Hussain, in fact, facilitated the event.
