GUWAHATI: In an effort to curb wildlife crimes against the greater one-horned rhinos and other endangered species, around 40 border police officials were enlightened during a sensitisation event on the occasion of International Rhino Day, on Friday.
Held at the Rangia Sectoral HQ of SSB, the workshop was organised by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation.
The organisation’s project officer and wildlife crime analyst, Ivy Farheen Hussain, explained the escalating crimes against rhinos and other species, emphasising on the pivotal role border police could play in thwarting these activities.
The session was in line with the organisation’s DETERS initiative, which stands for “Disrupt and End Trade of Endangered and Rare Species”.
Key aspects covered during the session included guidelines for responding to wildlife crime incidents and species identification. The importance of further raising awareness and engaging in informal discussions was stressed as a means to strengthen the collaborative effort to combat wildlife crime.
The engagement was a part of a two-day wildlife crime prevention course, specifically curated for SSB officials. Aaranyak had the distinction of being invited to conduct the sensitisation class.
Over recent years, SSB has taken the mantle in actively combating wildlife crimes. Their commendable work includes intercepting critical consignments of pangolin scales and tokay geckos, substantially mitigating the international illegal wildlife trade.
Aaranyak has been at the forefront of fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) like SSB, ITBP, BSF, CISF, state police forces, customs officials, transport agencies, forest authorities, and village defence organizations (VDOs) underlining the urgency of unified efforts to combat wildlife crimes and safeguard our precious wildlife and bioresources.
