Showing posts with label poaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poaching. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Rhino poaching at Orang


Sanctuary Cover Story April 2012:

Sushil Kumar Daila, Divisional Forest Officer, Mangaldai Wildlife Division, recounts a recent rhino poaching incident in Assam’s Orang National Park and highlights some positive developments that will help secure the park.
An adult male rhino
In my time as a Divisional Forest Officer, I have unfortunately seen four rhino poaching cases. But nothing pained me nearly as much as the death of an adult male rhino that was shot by poachers at dusk on January 23, 2010 in the Jhaoni Island of the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. As soon as the staff heard two gunshots, we set out to nab the poachers. We tried long and hard, but they escaped. We noticed, however, a horrifyingly thick blood trail in several places on the three square kilometre island. Eventually, we were able to locate the rhino. Alive. But with its horn chopped off. The animal was in acute pain and was walking in tight circles, in utter distress. We watched helplessly, in total anguish. Grown men – we were all in tears as we watched the magnificent animal writhing in pain. We called for the best vets in Assam, but the rhino died, after struggling for life for two full days. The entire staff of Orang witnessed first-hand just how ruthless the poaching gangs are. The rhino would have collapsed from the shock of the bullet, but even as it breathed they had brutally gouged out its horn. When on the same island two months later another rhino poaching attempt was made, one of the poachers was shot dead by our staff. Since then no incident has taken place. There has been a lull for 26 months now, but we harbour no illusions. The poachers are there and waiting for us to drop our guard.
Despite poaching being an ongoing problem, the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park has recorded an increase in the rhino population. According to a recently concluded census, the 78.81 sq. km. park now has 100 rhinos, a significant increase from 64 in 2009. The increase can be attributed to strong anti-poaching measures. Recent initiatives in Orang include awareness campaigns and joint vigilance teams with villagers in the most susceptible areas. Credit:Dhritiman Mukherjee
A female rhino was shot dead by poachers in the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park at 1:45 a.m. on January 9, 2011 near the Kachariveti camp. The poachers decamped with the rhino horn the same night. Their modus operandi took us by surprise. Normally they would enter when the moon was full; this time they chose a moonless night. Moreover, they brought the rhino down with a single bullet.
The next day, as we sat discussing the issue, all of us depressed, a thought occurred to me: “What if one or more of the poachers had been photographed in one of the 30 or so camera traps we had installed for our tiger estimation work?” Immediately, the Range Officer, Salim Ahmed, our staff and I began to inspect camera after camera. To our great surprise and delight, we discovered that on the night of January 4-5, 2011, one of the cameras actually had caught three poachers carrying two .303 rifles. Instantly we compared the faces with those of known suspects. But none of our staff members could identify the men.
Speculating that they might be from nearby villages, we organised a house-to-house night raid in two neighbouring villages of Kachariveti tup no.1 and no. 2. We had a large contingent of forest staff with us, including women foresters/forest guards and even some army personnel. The search operation began at 10 p.m. and ended at six a.m. the next day. Leaving nothing to chance, we scoured every single house. Our feet were numb with the cold as we had walked barefoot in swampy areas and across the Panchnoi river to reach some of the scattered dwellings. But we found no poachers.
Got them!
We then decided to announce a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- for information on the men and printed good quality, large-sized ‘WANTED’ posters in Assamese, with the pictures of the poachers carrying two .303 rifles. We put the posters up all over Darrang and Sonitpur districts. The plan worked. Within 24 hours, the intelligence information began to pour in. But the culprits had also been forewarned in the process and when we got to their homes, predictably, they had vanished. We did, however, manage to unearth one poacher’s cell phone number from titbits of paper inside his house. We also began to put word out that the Government was going to issue shoot-on-sight orders against them if they did not surrender. That was enough for them. On February 4, 2011, they entered the Dhekiajuli police station and surrendered. They were arrested by us then and there and we seized the two rifles, which perfectly matched the weapons in the camera trap photos. The next day they were jailed and a charge-sheet meticulously filed, for once with clinching evidence. We appointed a private lawyer as well as a public prosecutor and worked very closely with them to ensure we had a water-tight case. We were determined to have these poachers who had killed a rhino on our watch convicted.
A two-tier regular supervision-cum-inspection protocol of every protection camp has been instituted. Patrolling is intensively monitored and recorded on a daily basis at the Camp, Range and Division level. Credit:Dhritiman Mukherjee
Piecing together the whole episode, I discovered that on January 4, at 2.30 p.m., just five days before the poachers had done their dark deed, I had personally walked that area with my staff on patrol. For all we know they were around, watching us and waiting until they thought it was safe to take out the rhino. They had clearly seen the flash, but could not locate the camera as it had been secured up on a tree. They then re-entered the area four days later from another point and escaped being photographed.
Orang must live
Over the last two and half years (September 2009 – February 2012), there has been a major overhaul of Orang’s protection force and protocols. Seven new anti-poaching camps, five RCC watch towers, two floating camps, patrolling roads, bridges and culverts have been added to the protection infrastructure. And vast improvements in the living conditions of our field staff have been undertaken. We have also been provided with three new vehicles, two speed boats, wireless equipment, IT gadgets and a host of other equipment, apart from our arsenal of arms and ammunition. Arms training and firing practice have also been given to the entire staff in collaboration with the Assam State Police.
That is not all. We have diligently settled all ex-gratia cases of cattle killing by tigers outside the national park, even those pending since 2002! And today compensation is paid on the spot, within 24 hours of any cattle kill. Additionally, we have organised awareness campaigns and formed joint vigilance teams with villagers in the most susceptible areas. A two-tier regular supervision-cum-inspection protocol of every protection camp has been instituted. Patrolling is intensively monitored and recorded on a daily basis at the Camp, Range and Division level. Strict and prompt action is taken against erring staff and we are fine-tuning our administrative set up for time-bound disposal of requests for leave, GPF advance, increments or any other problem raised by our field staff. Most importantly, senior officers accompany forest guards on foot patrols and many joint patrols have been initiated with army and police personnel.
Camera traps dated January 4, 2011 at 10:03:09 p.m. revealed that a tiger had crossed the area where the rhino was subsequently killed. The camera traps also provided leads on the rhino poachers as it captured their images on January 5, 2011 at 1:31:25 a.m. Courtesy:Orang Forest Department
These efforts have borne fruit. Two well-orchestrated encroachment attempts by over 2,000 suspected Bangladeshi intruders in 2010 were stymied. A total of 67 hutments built on two separate days were demolished the very day they were erected. An additional area of 47 ha. was added to the Orang National Park by the Assam government to prevent possible encroachment after the incident, so that the river itself became a natural barrier. To date a total of 60 poachers have been arrested and prosecuted. As many as eight have been shot dead in encounters with our staff upon whom unprovoked firing took place. Seven rifles, a pistol and a large cache of ammunition were seized. We also had to deal with six distinct incidents of rhinos straying into villages. Happily, we were able to herd all the rhinos safely back to the park, at times after painstaking efforts for three to four days. To our utter relief, not a single case of tiger poisoning has taken place since December 25, 2010. Not a single rhino has been poached since January 9, 2011.
All this is good news for us, but we know we cannot lose focus for even a second. Orang’s rhinos and tigers depend on us and we will be there for them.
Sanctuary Asia, Vol XXXII No. 2, April 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Samyak Photography - Bird Poaching at Siruthavur

Samyak Photography - Bird Poaching at Siruthavur

One hot summer sunday, when me and my birding buddies went out to Siruthavur lake (located at the outskirts of chennai), we were welcomed by the gunshots from the other side of the lake.
  Instantly, we could see a flock of birds taking off from that place. They moved to little away from gunshot place and settled down for their feeding.
  Our binoculars and lenses came out promptly trying to figure out the source of the shot.
  Not able to find anything, we went on our activities of birding and started noting down the birding activities at the lake.
  While I moved on near to lake, trying to "shoot" some close flying shots of cotton teals, rest were scanning the grounds and water for birds from the road itself.
  We heard few more gunshots and as usual, unable to find out the source (as the poachers were hiding) during this time too.
  Below photo story is as developed during this couse of time.

  Location : Siruthavur lake, Thiruporur, Chennai, India.
  Photos by : Gnanskandan (GK), Subramanian Sankar, Samyak Kaninde. Deepak and Gayathri were constantly keeping watch on poachers and forest officials during all this drama.


7:32AM - The poacher (in khaki) came to the light to collect the dead birds. Seen here are two local boys walking along with the poacher.

poachers/hunters


The poacher (in khaki) and local kids (helping them) colleting the dead birds. The Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) as seen here.

dead poached The Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)


The Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger) or The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) being handed over.

dead The Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger) or The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)


The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) pair - one having a fish in the beak and other landing completely ignorant of what is happening in the background.

poaching at siruthavur


The two standing birds near the boy collecting dead birds are either 'live birds tied with ropes in muddy soil' or 'dead stuffed birds' kept their as bet to attract other birds flocks. The green patch beside the boy is a hide used by the poacher sitting there with a loaded gun. He was still hiding while the others were kept collecting dead birds.

poaching at siruthavur


The first poacher went behind a hide and the the shooter poacher (old guy with turban)came out. The local boy is inspecting the baiting bird. Not sure if it was 'alive and tied' or 'dead stuffed bird'.

poaching at siruthavur


7:49AM - After collecting almost all birds, locals and poachers parted their ways. The forest guards had just arrived and we briefed them about this and showed the poachers and asked them to hurry up to go behind them to catch them red handed.

poaching at siruthavur


The FD guards were shouting from behind and running a great distance towards poachers. Looking at this, the poacher ran with his bags towards the FD fellows. We could not understand what was happening and what is to happen next.

poaching at siruthavur


The poacher had hid the bags with dead birds in the green vegetation(the egret flying over that patch on RHS) and started running back to join his old mate waiting at the other end. The two local boys were as clueless as we were to understand what was happening.

poaching at siruthavur


7:54AM - Finally, we could see the Forest department guards reaching the scene. Later they told us that they were shouting and posing as a potential buyers for the birds. The local kid was dragging one of the dead bird to be taken away but later he threw it away. Probably, as we were watching from road, the kid thought of not carrying it in hands.

poaching at siruthavur


The FD guards negotiating with one poacher while the other is little away. The other poacher still had the gun and the FD guards could have been in trouble too.

poaching at siruthavur


Once both the poachers were at hand, the FD guards had them caught over and a long talks and long wait to see them at the roads started. The local boys escaped from the other side and went back to village.

poaching at siruthavur


09:05AM - Meanwhile, one more FD guard came in and joined the two. The old poacher was apparantly doing some drama about not feeling well and this new FD guard was attending him at the other side. The previous FD guards got hold of one poacher and were taking him to their department on the bike. The FD guard showing the dead The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia).

The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) gun poacher forest ranger


Finally, Mr. Moorthy, a forest ranger from thiruporur division, came promptly in a jeep to take away the old poacher to take into custody. Fortunately, the local boys also turned up on a bike this time to take away the dead bird. We told ranger about it and he took them into custody too.
Below - the dead birds were taken out of the bags and kept on the steps of forest department office.

dead birds at FD office


The dead birds at the FD office.

wildlife crime, dead birds eyes beaks


9:57AM - The Cotton Pygmy Goose (or the Cotton Teal) (Nettapus coromandelianus) - one dead, one alive. The alive one was having a broken legs and was sent to the zoo to be taken care of. It later succumbed to the injury and shock and died later. The cotton like white color of this bird was all soaked in the blood red. Unfortunate to see such a beauty in such a state.

cotton teal (cotton pigmy goose)(Nettapus coromandelianus)




This was the second poaching incident I witnessed within the span of 3 months after the last kelambakkam incident(read below in links). The places are quite nearby to each other and done by the same people (Narikurava tribe mostly). But, the prompt response by the forest department from Thiruporur division was something pleasantly unexpected. The ranger and DFO were following it with us about all happening in the field during this 2-3 hour drama. With our experinece from these incidents, I would like to make following observations :

1. We need a dedicated hotline number for a city/state/country (depending on the feasibility) to report the poaching realted incidents. Most of the time, we are spending a lot of time in ringing our friends, getting the correct contacts and talking to the officials. Sometimes, the officials/forest guards does not even turn up at the incident (like my previous kelambakkam poaching incident).

2. The task force which is specialised in handling poachers and work on the ground to nab them red-handed is required. The forest guards did not even carry a stick while they were running behind the poachers who were having guns. Fortunately, nothing happened in this case.

3. The poachers, moreover, require an alternate livelihood. Unless, we find solutions to their bread and butter problems, we can not stop poaching.

4. The poachers were let off by paying a fine of just 10000/- which we think does not do justice to the repeated killings of these birds. The law has to be strengthened for stringent punishments according to the different wildlife classification of poached birds.

5. GK with help from others, is working on a list of contact numbers to report such cases directly to the forest department rangers/DFOs, we shall share that soon once it is ready.

If you have different ideas/suggestions/feedback, please put them down in comments below. The debate might not change the situation on field in a day, but could be a beginning for a betrer world in future.


  Links :



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