1995, 35
Kaziranga 1300
Poaching 1994-95, 0
1500, Kaziranga 1300
Deaths in 1994, 37
Deaths in 1992, 66
25 from Chitwan, 4 poached in 1992/93.
13 from Chitwan, 3 to India, 1 killed.
Poached in 1995, 1
Poached in 1994, 4
18
11
13
Poaching 1994, 7
Poaching 1995, 9
Poaching figures. Total Pit Gun Electrocution 1992 49 2 45 2 1993 40 2 38 0 1994 14 3 11 0 1995 21 6 15 0 End.
Poached in 1993, 22
Poached 1995, 2
Reasons for decreased poaching after 1994 1. Larger budget allocation for intelligence gathering, 1991-93 it was $1359 per year, in 1994-1995 it was $6041 per year. This money was raised from foreign tourists by Nepal's Branch of the International trust for Nature conservation. 2. District Forest Officers have become more active. They even arrested a former Assistant Minister attempting to sell a rhino horn in Bharatpur town. 3. An increased police help. Police in Kathmandu intercepted many wildlife porducts, including a rhino head and a rhino horn. 4. Harsher sentences. In 1993, penalties for rhino poaching increased to maximum 15 years in jail and 100.000 rupee fine (= $1850 in 1995). 5. Park management has improved with increased patrol work. Two new anti-poaching units were established. 6. Adequate funding was provided. In 1995/6 Chitwan's estimated government budget was $879,620 including an army share of 65%. If one adds contributions from NGO's, the total budget comes about $900,000 or $966 per km2.
Poaching 1992-1995 In Chitwan N.P. In Chitwan valley outside Park 1992 17 1994 0 1992 1 1994 0 1993 5 1995 0 1993 4 1995 1 In 1994, 14 rhino poachers and 2 tiger poachers were caught (Martin 1996a) 1995, there were two rhino horn seizures with about 6 people arrested (Martin 1996a) 1995, four people were arrested for selling fake rhino horn (Martin 1996a) 1995 Nov., poachers shot a rhino 10 km north of the park boundary. The carcass was found a few days later with the horn removed. Staff took the nails and seven sections of skin for storage.
2-3 rhinos moved into India, Katherniaghat Sanctuary.
Deaths in 1995, 47
about 100
Poached in 1992, 11
In 1994 there was a breakdown in law enforcement due to local agitation. The main radio set in the Sanctuary was stolen and not replaced. Guns were also stolen by Bodos. Second, there have also been financial constraints as the government budget declined by over 12% from 1992/3 to 1993/4, but in 1994/95 it was increased to $152,521 or $2,018 per kmy.
Poaching in Assam was serious in 1992 and 1993. This was due to a number of factors including political instability, inadequate intelligence funds, a cut back in funds for management in several protected areas, poor leadership in certain parks and wildlife sanctuaries, low morale of forest guards, and no arrests of rhino hom traders.
In 1994-95, no poaching, but 4 natural deaths: one old male died from fighting, a female was killed by a tiger, one drowned in a wallow, one male died of lung congestion.
Reasons for reduced poaching in 1994-1995 1. Funds spent on information about poachers and middlemen around Kaziranga increased. Amount spent by Forest Dept. for intelligence operations around Kaziranga: 1991/92 $199, 1991/2 $ 279, 1992/3 $881, 1993/4 $2108, 1994/5 $1224. In 1991 4 poachers were killed and 25 arrested, in 1994 12 poachers were killed and 46 arrested. 2. Police around Kaziranga have become more involved in stopping rhino horn trade. It is only the police who have the authority to organise arrests in the villages, and in 1994 and 1995 the police and Forest Department staff carried out at least nine joint raids which resulted in the deaths of four poachers and the arrests of 20 men, while six firearms used to kill rhinos were confiscated (Assam Forest Department, 1995). 3. Park Management has improved. The Director of Kaziranga National Park has made efforts to ensure that he has the most competent and experienced three range officers who have motivated their men and improved patrol work. These range officers have been responsible for overseeing a number of encounters with poachers from 1993 up to November 1995 resulting in 116 arrested and 24 killed. The range officers supervise the 204 forest guards, 60 boatmen, 62 foresters, 56 game watchers and other men inside Kaziranga. There are 435 full-time staff involved in anti-poaching work based at 113 camps in the Park. 4. Increasing NGO support. The Rhino Foundation for Nature in N.E. India gave equipment to Kaziranga field staff, in 1994-95 450 pairs of hunting boots, 250 rain coats and 50 water filters. Tiger Link helped with informant's pay. 5. Increased Government Budget, to $1552 per kmy.
Poached 1994, 4
Poached 1993, 4
Poached 1992, 3
No poaching ever occurred. The rhinos were translocated into the area in 1984-1985.
Poaching 1993, 1
Poaching 1992, 2
Until 1995 few arrests of major traders had been made by the Indian authorities. Certain nongovernment organisations (NGOs), notably TRAFFIC India and the Wildlife Protection Society of India, have helped the government by providing information on the trading syndicates, largely through the help of informers. In June 1995, police officers caught five people in the town of Siliguri in West Bengal who offered to sell 60 rhino homs and were in possession of two. These two homs probably originated from Assam and would have been sent to Bhutan for export to eastern Asia. The leader of the smuggling syndicate was of Taiwanese origin who had trading connections in India, Bhutan, Nepal and Taiwan. This trader claimed to have supplied the 22 rhino homs which a Bhutanese princess carried from Bhutan to Taiwan in September 1993. In August 1995 another businessman was caught in Calcutta with rhino hom, elephant ivory and tiger skins.
From 1990 to 1995, Manas lost most of its rhinos. The main reasons are serious political disturbances in the area, a lack of adequate funding and manpower, and security problems. First, continuing since the late 1980s, there has been a break down in law and order, until very recently, due to the political disputes. As a result, many rhinos were poached. For example, in March 1993 one gang leader from the Bodo tribe organised the killing of at least 13 rhinos. The man lived only a few kilometres from the area headquarters of Bansbari in the village of Khabsinpara. From 1990 to the end of 1993, perhaps just over half of the estimated 90 rhinos had been killed. In 1994 at least four more were killed in the central Bansbari range. Bhuyanpara (the eastern range) and Panbari (the western range) were rarely patrolled from 1989 onwards due to the fear of Bodo terrorists hiding in the forests. It is likely that virtually all the rhinos in these two areas had been eliminated by 1994. There is information on only one poaching gang operating in 1994. This gang of four from Nalbari District, all armed with rifles, shot a rhino and cut off its hom which weighed about 625 grs. It was bought by a man from Guwahati for the equivalent of $2.555 a kilo. In 1995 up to early November, another rhino was known to have been shot in the Bansbari range. Two females with calves were seen in the Bansbari range in 1995 and its range officer believes that perhaps 20 remain in the entire Park.
three animals wandered out of Bardia, Nepal into India.
Size 8.5 km2, expanded in 1995 to 79.52 kmy.
1995, four people were arrested near Chitwan NP, Nepal, for selling fake rhino horn.
not one rhino poached
Old male died from fighting, Gorumara, Bengal, 1994-95
Sept 1993: The leader of the smuggling syndicate in Siliguri, India was of Taiwanese origin who had trading connections in India, Bhutan, Nepal and Taiwan. This trader claimed to have supplied the 22 rhino homs which a Bhutanese princess carried from Bhutan to Taiwan.
1995, Assam, Manas, $ 2555 per kilo
A male died of lung congestion, Gorumara, Bengal, 1994-95
Siliguri as trading place. June 1995: police officers caught five people in the town of Siliguri in West Bengal who offered to sell 60 rhino homs and were in possession of two. These two homs probably originated from Assam and would have been sent to Bhutan for export to eastern Asia. The leader of the smuggling syndicate was of Taiwanese origin who had trading connections in India, Bhutan, Nepal and Taiwan. This trader claimed to have supplied the 22 rhino homs which a Bhutanese princess carried from Bhutan to Taiwan in September 1993 August 1995: another businessman was caught in Calcutta with rhino hom, elephant ivory and tiger skins. Until the Siliguri Bhutanese connection became important, Calcutta was the main entrepot for rhino hom from India. Since the late 1980s, however, the Indian authorities have intensified their efforts in this area so the Calcutta trade route is less significant. In October 1995 another hom was seized in Siliguri. This small town has become India's main entrepot for rhino horns, being near Assam, Nepal and Bhutan and being a junction for most transport routes in the region. Siliguri thus attracts many businessmen including those dealing in endangered wildlife products.
1995, Assam, $885 to $2556 per kilo of horn
Female calf was killed by tiger, Gorumara, Bengal, 1994-95
One drowned in wallow, Gorumara, Bengal, 1994-95.
