Sniffer dog to chase poachers in Assam's Orang park

Orang National Park in North Assam on Sunday inducted a sniffer dog and motorcycles to chase poachers and check crime against wildlife in the 79-sq km park.

The sniffer dog and the motorcycles were handed over to the park authorities by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation NGO based here, under its efforts to strengthen the capacity of forest and security personnel to protect wildlife in the state's national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

"The motorcycles and the sniffer dog will enhance capacity of the police and forest personnel to protect the rhinos, Royal Bengal tigers and other wildlife, which continuously face the threat of poaching." Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, the CEO of Aaranyak said.

He added that the motorcycles were gifted to Darrang district police at the request of the Superintendent of Police, for "augmenting patrolling by police personnel engaged in checking and prevention of wildlife crimes including hunting of animals in the national park,"

Spread over 79-sq km, Organg National Park has 101 one-horned rhinos, 24 Royal Bengal tigers and many other avian and aquatic species. Rhinos and tigers face the threat of international gang of poachers. Rhino horns and other wildlife parts are smuggled through the India-Myanmar border to meet the markets of traditional medicines in many southeast Asian countries.

Sponsored by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Aaranyak had earlier provided sniffer dogs to Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam to fight against poachers. The sniffer dogs helped forest personnel to catch some poachers in Kaziranga.