Tracker dog tracks down 2 rhino poachers in India – Appeal to Indian Government to stop rhino poaching

29/01/2013 12:02:26 January 2013. In the past two days two rhino have been poached in India's Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Jorba, the sniffer dog sponsored by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), and his handler assisted forest and police staff at the scene of the crime of the first rhino poaching in Burapahar Range of Kaziranga . Picking up the scent from an axe that had been left behind by the poachers after cutting off the rhino horn, Jorba lead the forest and police team to a nearby village which led to the arrest of a suspect.

The next day another rhino was poached and Jorba again assisted the forest and police team to sniff out the exit route and track down a suspect from the scene of the crime.

Appeal to the India Government

"While Jorba's assistance is invaluable in tracking down poachers after the event, the rhino poaching situation is not good," says Dr BibhabTalukdar of DSWF supported NGO Aaranyak .

"Please may I appeal to everyone to fax or email the attached letter to the Prime Minister of India to urge him to take immediate steps to curb this criminal activity."

Fax No: 91-11-23019545 / 23016857 and also a fax copy to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi 91-1123017047/23018651. To email click here or send to: pmosb@pmo.nic.in

U.S. and India cooperate to combat illegal trade in wildlife

The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Robert D. Hormats co-chaired a panel discussion on Illegal Trade in Wildlife with WWF India CEO and Secretary General Ravi Singh. Illegal wildlife trade is estimated at $10 - 20 billion annually, and is among the largest sources of illegal trade. Increased firepower and ruthless tactics on the part of the poachers jeopardize security, stability and the rule of law in countries across the globe. Beyond moral and environmental implications, large scale poaching threatens the livelihoods and economic opportunities of local communities.

 

At the roundtable--which was organized by the U.S. Embassy and WWF/TRAFFIC India--U.S. and Indian government officials, NGOs, wildlife lawyers and enforcement officials discussed some of their challenges, and successes in combating wildlife trafficking.

Under Secretary Hormats emphasized the need for high-level political will, public outreach, and greater international coordination and cooperation to combat wildlife trafficking, including the strengthening of regional enforcement networks such as the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN).

WWF India Secretary General and CEO Singh noted the intimate link between the decline of India's wildlife species, and alarming trends in illegal wildlife trafficking. "It is imperative that issues of illegal wildlife trade should be taken up in a strategic manner, linking national agencies and senior government executives. Here, the U.S. government can be an important partner on global wildlife intelligence, networking and sharing of best practices in enforcement."

Dr Shekhar Kumar Niraj, Head-India chapter of TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, highlighted the magnitude of wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade, and how it has evolved to be one of the most important challenges in conservation of species today. Whether at the local, regional or global, the efforts to eliminate wildlife crimes need to be assisted collectively with our trained skills, scientific knowledge, and improved resources.