The destruction of a large number of rhinos in 1929 by armed poachers was reported by the Forest Department. There was a prompt despatch by the local Government of a force of Assam Rifles under a British officer to deal with the situation.
Dicerorhinus sumatrensis . Formerly common in the Lushai and Manipur Hills and occasionally found in North Cachar, but by now almost hunted to the vanishing point by Lushais and Kukis. The record flood of July 1929 drove the rhino up into the hills and very few have been allowed by the Lushais to return.
The opening up by forest villagers of several big patches of marshy land in the Forest Reserves of South Cachar seriously reduced the number of suitable haunts available for this species. Most of the remaining patches, however, will have to be kept closed to cultivation in order to preserve feeding-grounds for the timber-dragging elephants, and some special steps have already been taken to try and look after the few rhino still left alive in thsi difficult country where little control can be exercised overthe shikaries.
Formerly common in the Lushai and Manipur Hills and occasionally found in North Cachar, but by now almost hunted to the vanishing point by Lushais and Kukis. The record flood of July 1929 drove the rhino up into the hills and very few have been allowed by the Lushais to return.
Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. Formerly common in the Lushai and Manipur Hills and occasionally found in North Cachar, but by now almost hunted to the vanishing point by Lushais and Kukis. The record flood of July 1929 drove the rhino up into the hills and very few have been allowed by the Lushais to return.
The Local Government introduced a Bill making horns and tusks the property of Government as forest produce. The Legislative Council approved of rhino horn being listed as forest produce and most benificial results have since followed.
Rules regarding close seasons had been framed at an early date for the Reserve Forests in conformity with practice in other parts of India, but game remained entirely unprotected in wastelands, known as Unclassed State Forests, until about 1910 when close seasons were introduced following a letter to The Times from Sir Harry Johnston.
It is on record that Rowland Ward identified the head and shield from a rhino shot by a Forest Officers in the Bengal Dooars as belonging to this species, and it would be strange if it did not also occur in the contiguous Goalpara and Monas Sanctuary. Pairs of smaller, less truculent, and definitely less armoured rhino can be put up in the Sanctuary, and these, if not cases of Rhinoceros unicornis pairing while still far from mature, must be specimens of Rhinoceros sondaicus . The Kacharies recognize three varieties of rhino, and though their classification is not made on scientific lines, it does not follow therefrom that it is all moonshine.
