Feel for the Four-legged

It is heartwarming to know that there are people and organizations that care to spare a thought for our four legged counterparts with whom we share this earth. Yes, it is a respite after the horrible incidents of poachers brutally mutilating rhinos to possess their horns to realize that scarred rhinos are being nurtured to health and returned to where they belong.

The lions Club of Guwahati Seva has decided to donate a hydraulic tail-lift to the People For Animals (PFA). Sick and injured animals which are generally pulled by chains and ropes to be transported to hospitals will no longer have to undergo pain as the Hydraulic Lift will be used to pick them from streets to the PFA hospital. The lift will be formally handed over to the PFA by the International president of the Lion’s Club, Mahendra Amarasuriya, at a function to be held at the Pragjyoti Cultural Complex in Machkhowa.

Shalini jain, the public relations officer of lions Club of Guwahati Seva, emphasized the utility of the lift.

Sangeeta Goswami the chairperson of PFA was all praise for the Lions Club for providing them with the hydraulic lift.

Recently the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation nursed back to health a young rhino who survived a attack by poachers when she was merely one and a half years old. Her story is heart rending. Rescuers had found her hiding in a ditch, dehydrated and in a state of shock , two days after she was orphaned. The calf is now set to be released at the Basbari range of the Manas National park, some 430 km from Kaziranga where she was treated.

Saddened by the increased rate of poaching incidents of one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga National Park hitting the headlines, an association of Assamese and Northeast NRIs have urged the Government to declare poachers as terrorists. Rajen Barua, president of Friends of Assam & Seven Sisters, in a letter to the media in Guwahati, said that the responsibility of providing security to rhinos and other inmates of Kaziranga should be handed over to the Army.

A World Heritage Site, Kaziranga, whose area was increased from 430 sq km to 890 sq km eight years ago, currently has 435 guards to protect 1,800-odd rhinos, 86 tigers and hundreds of other species. State Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain has admitted that the Government has not been able to provide enough manpower to protect the animals.

The need of the hour is to provide adequate manpower and round the clock video surveillance if we seriously want to bring down poaching.

The fault lies with us,the people and its no use blaming the government or any body for that matte for compassion for animals is a trait which is lacking in us. There are very few of us who spare a thought for the welfare of animals. Our system of governance simply distributes portfolios to ministers at random without considering the qualifications or suitability of the men with their posts. For instance it should be a pre requisite for a forest minister to be compassionate toward animals or he or she should be a wildlife or animal activist. Then only then can we provide a safe and comfortable environment to the animals in the wild or otherwise. Similar should be the case with forest guards who are responsible for the safety and protection of the animals.

When we are unable to apprehend a handful of poachers in a given area such as the Kaziranga National Park we should simply forget about hopes of curbing terrorism.