Wildlife officials in India’s Kaziranga National Park discover grass laced with poisoned salt – the latest attempt by poachers to kill rhino.
Unfortunately, five cattle have died after consuming grass laced with poison salt hear the edge of Kaziranga National Park. The deaths happened in the Baghmari area near the Burapaha range – and authorities believe the poison was actually meant for the park’s rhino.
Kaziranga Park Director, S.N. Buragohain, said in a recent Telegraph (India) article that stronger anti-poaching measures have driven these criminals to try yet another poaching method. He explained that because herbivores are attracted to salt, the poachers were using it to lure rhino outside the park.
We have increased the number of forest guards and anti-poaching camps have also been set up in new areas to add teeth to security measures. And since poachers are finding it difficult to enter the park, they are coming up with these new ideas to lure rhinos out of the park and poison the animals.
He added that if tigers had consumed the cattle, they would have also died, due to the heavy dose of poison.
Villagers living in the vicinity frequently provide information regarding the whereabouts of rhino, in exchange for money, although it is not known if they were involved in the poisoning incident.
Forest guards have been deployed to keep wildlife away from the area, which has since been placed under close watch.
Rhinos have suffered a catastrophic population decline at the hands of poachers, due to an unfortunate Chinese superstition that the rhino horn contains “special powers” to reduce pain and fever. The rhino’s horn is simply comprised of keratin and does not contain medicinal ingredients or magical powers.
Kaziranga National Park is home to two-thirds of the world’s greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) population, which totals approximately 2,850 – thanks to conservation efforts.
Let’s hope the Kaziranga team keeps up the good work!
Image source: flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
About Rhishja Cota-Larson
[...] have died in the area after consuming grass laced with poisoned salt. Authorities believe the poisoned salt was set out by poachers to lure rhinos outside the park, and noted that if a tiger consumed any poisoned livestock, it would also be [...]