Assam burns rhino horns to send out message on wildlife conservation

This was the first time that rhino horns were publicly destroyed in this manner

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   On the occasion of World Rhino Day, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma holds a rhino horn before burning it, at Bokaghat parade ground in Golaghat district on Wednesday (PTI)

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   CM Himanta Biswa Sarma along with state minister Atul Bora hold up rhino horns before burning them on Wednesday (PTI)

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   Several cases of rhino poaching were reported in the years leading up to 2013 and 2014. These two years witnessed the highest number of incidents in a decade, at 27 in each year. This has since decreased to 17 in 2015, 18 in 2016, 6 each in 2017 and 2018, and 3 in 2019. (PTI)

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   Rhino horns were stockpiled and burned during a public ceremony in Golaghat on Wednesday. The ceremony was publicised as a “milestone towards rhino conservation” aimed at “busting myths about rhino horns”. (Twitter: @himantabiswa)

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   Himanta on Wednesday tweeted, “We have taken an extraordinary step of burning stockpile of 2479 horns of single-horned Rhinos, first-of-its-kind globally in volume terms, pursuing vision of Hon PM Sri @narendramodi of putting an end to poaching in Assam.” (Twitter: @himantabiswa)

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   This was the first time that rhino horns were publicly destroyed in this manner (Twitter: @himantabiswa)