MANGALDAI, Feb 18 � There is strong resentment among the nature lovers of Darrang district and the Orang area in Udalguri district over the recent spurt in the incidents of suspected killing of animals within the Orang National Park in Darrang district.
It may be mentioned that close on the heels of the killing of a full-grown female rhino by poachers on January 8, the carcass of a mature male rhino was reportedly recovered from the Satsimalu forest camp area of the Park on February 16. Although the park authority has tried to establish the death as a natural one, the nature lovers suspect the hands of poachers behind this incident also. Earlier on December 25 last year, a Royal Bengal Tiger of the national park died due to suspected poisoning.
Abdul Ajij, secretary, Dalgaon Forest and Wildlife Protection Association, Manabendra Barua, secretary, Crystal Vision, Mangaldai, Bhaskar Deka, member, Orang Journalists� Association and representatives of various nature associations expressed serious concern over the alleged failure of the Mangaldai Wildlife Division to protect the wildlife in the park and urged the Government to make immediate arrangements to ensure their safety in the park. Meanwhile, the media fraternity of the district and neighbouring Orang area has condemned the attitude of the Mangaldai wildlife authorities towards sharing information about the park with media persons outside Darrang district and also at a huge distance from the park while ignoring most media persons based in Mangaldai, Dalgaon and Orang area for reasons best known to them. The media fraternity also urged the DFO, Mangaldai Wildlife Division to abstain from playing the divide-and-rule policy among the media fraternity.
