ASSAM'S WILDLIFE CRIME BUREAU FACES FINANCIAL CRUNCH

[Guest guest]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051128/asp/northeast/story_5529275.asp

Money crunch hits poacher hunt

- Wildlife Crime Bureau fights a losing battle A STAFF REPORTER

 

*Guwahati, Nov. 27:* Short of firepower and money required to pay informers

to get intelligence information, Assam's Wildlife Crime Bureau is fighting a

losing battle.

 

The bureau, which was set up in June by the state government to check

poaching of endangered species and smash the network of poachers through

intelligence gathering, is working without necessary infrastructure and

support.

 

Five personnel had been deputed from the forest department to work for the

bureau. Sources in the department said without firepower and vehicles, it's

difficult to operate and know about the network of the poachers.

 

" Just bringing out a notification does not serve the purpose if it is not

backed by support, " one of the sources said.

 

Poaching is still continuing in the famous Kaziranga National Park and other

protected forest areas of the state. The gravity of the situation can be

understood from the fact that an abortive attempt was made to poach a rhino

in the Assam state zoo recently.

 

" Paying informers handsomely is a must to get information and there is no

money with the bureau to do this, " a forest department official involved in

anti-poaching operations said.

 

" We cannot believe everybody and for this, people have to be recruited to

keep a close check on the informers which further increases the cost, " the

source said. The source further said if the bureau was forced to gather

intelligence without necessary backing from the government, it may

demoralise other forest department personnel as well.

 

In contrast to the government agency's lack of resources, the London-based

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, which is carrying out secret

investigations into poaching and smuggling of endangered wildlife in and

through Assam, provides funds to field operatives working undercover and

pays informants. The foundation has thus gathered vital intelligence and

reports linking illegal trade in India to smuggling in other Asian

countries.

 

Government officials involved in anti-poaching operations have underscored

the need of deployment of undercover operatives and spread the area of

investigation as the city has a clandestine market for rhino products.

 

The bureau does not have any wireless set nor any database. Sources said the

bureau should have ideally extended its investigation to outside the state

as the markets for forest products lie there.

 

There are two routes for smuggling out rhino horns — one through Dimapur and

the other through Siliguri. Tracking a poacher is an extremely difficult

task, as it requires thorough knowledge of a poacher's style of functioning.