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Rhino poaching unabated
KATHMANDU, MAY 08 -
Friday, 6:45 p.m. The chief conservation officer and security personnel at Chitwan National Park heard a gunshot nearby while patrolling. The 60-member team rushed in the direction from where the sound came. They reached the site in 15 minutes.
“At Bhalu Khola where the incident occurred, we found a dead rhino with its horn missing and the poachers had absconded,” said Narendra Babu Pradhan, CNP chief conservation officer. This year so far, poachers have killed three rhinos for their horns and left a fourth one injured.
Despite the government’s efforts to save the rhinos by deploying an additional 5,000 security personnel in parks areas, poaching is unabated. Statistics show at least 10 rhinos were killed in the Park area in 2009 alone.
Conservationists say rhino poaching is on the rise due to lax laws and corruption. “The trend of releasing poachers without their serving their minimal punishment is encouraging others,” said conservationist Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha.
According to the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (NPWC) Act 1973, rhino poachers or body parts smugglers get 5 to 15 years’ jail or a fine of Rs.50,000 to Rs.100,000.
Meanwhile, Pemba Lama aka ‘Yakche’, a notorious poacher found guilty of killing 20 rhinos will be freed on bail next month after serving five years of his jail-term. Conservation-ists have already warned that his release will scale up poaching.
Posted on: 2010-05-09 09:03
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