KAZIRANGA, June 28 - Personnel of the Special Rhino Protection Force, which was set up under the initiative of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), will join their posting in Kaziranga National Park cum Tiger Reserve tomorrow, said Siva Kumar, Director of Kaziranga National Park cum Tiger Reserve here today.
Kumar informed this Correspondent that altogether 82 personnel of Special Rhino Protection Force will be placed at the various anti-poaching camps in all the eight ranges in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division and Biswanath Division under Kaziranga National Park.
�The primary job of these personnel will be to protect rhinos and other wildlife of Kaziranga National Park and check and carry out the anti-poaching operations in Kaziranga,� said Kumar, who will head the Special Rhino Protection Force as Director of Kaziranga National Park cum Tiger Reserve.
He said that these personnel, comprising 74 males and 8 females, had undergone rigorous training under the 9th APBN, Barhampur, for a period of 43 weeks. The process of setting up the special force started in 2015, while the recruitment process started in 2016 and 2017, he added.
It may be mentioned here that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had provided the fund and logistical support to set up the force as Kaziranga is the primary habitat of rhinos besides other wildlife. In other parts of India, the NTCA had supported setting up of similar special tiger protection forces.
Wildlife Warden of Kaziranga Uttam Saikia said that these young personnel would definitely be able to protect the rhinos and other wildlife. He, however, added that the State government must ensure these personnel are well equipped with proper arms and ammunition to actively fight the poachers who are always armed with sophisticated AK series rifles.
