WHAT WAS THIS ANIMAL’S CRIME???
This rhino was found dead in a jungle in Chitwan. Pics by Narayan Sharma
Poachers cut it’s horn and legs
By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle’s Web Log (A blog for an animal)
What’s your relationship with a rhino in a jungle in Chitwan, Nepal? Nothing personal? You might be true but if there is something called humanity that must be extended to the animals of this world as well. You can see double standard in me because I am a non vegetarian. I eat meat just like vegetables but that doesn’t mean non vegetarians shouldn’t take part in campaigns to save Rhino (I don’t eat Rhino meat though). I was in Chitwan last week to report about International Elephant Race. A speaker in the prize distribution ceremony said, “When I was child, I used to hear the slogan “Save Tiger”. Now we don’t have tigers [in big numbers] anymore. Now we are saying “Save Rhino”. If we just talk and do nothing we won’t be able to save rhinos and we will start saying “Save Chicken”.” The speaker received clapping from the crowd as everyone in the ground (where elephants raced) seemed to be agreeing with him. Barely a week after that, we were told yesterday forest officials in Chitwan found a dead poached two weeks ago in the jungle not far from the ground. (see box news)
As I have mentioned in this article, the elephant race was overshadowed by the peoples’ concern about the safety of rare rhinos of Nepal. Everyone talked about the need to save rhino. (Tourists come to see rhino by riding elephants, they said, and we must the animal.) Hoteliers in Sauraha, tourist district in Chitwan, are seriously concerned about the recent increase in rhino killing because they feel their business will be jeopardized if tourists stopped coming to Chitwan. People are killing rhino for meager Rs. five thousands, some said, and those killers don’t know that what they sell for that amount will be sold in for thousands of dollars in international market. “We should find the poachers and provide them alternative jobs so,” another opined.
One horn rhino of Nepal like this one is being killed every week or so as Nepalis quietly watch.
I heard all sorts of conspiracy theories related to rhino poaching. One man said, “Have you given a thought why rhinos are being killed one after another after democracy was restored in Nepal in April?” He suspected that some regressive and royalist elements and smugglers having old connections with THE “murti chor” and “khag taskar” [idol thief and rhino horn smuggler] are doing all this in a coordinated manner to make it appear that the democratic government is unable to save rhinos. Some blamed Maoists for creating unnecessary obstruction to National Park security and compromising security of rhinos. Some blamed Nepali Army for not doing enough patrol in the national park and nab the poachers. “Those people who are creating hue and cry are behind rhino killings,” said one skeptic.
Whatever the conspiracy theories are, one thing is clear that political will power to save rhino is clearly lacking. It feels strange to talk about political will power in an article about rhino but this is true, if all local political players are united in their crusade to save this animal, we won’t have to turn the pages of books to show our children a rhino.
Amnestied rhino poachers at it again
By Pragati Shahi
Rhino poached yet again: Chitwan forest officials informed Tuesday (Jan 2) that they found a dead rhino two weeks ago at Saktikhor VDC. “The rhino was killed by poachers and its horn and hooves were missing,” said Babu Ram Bhandari, district forest officer. The spot where the poaching took place is nearby the Maoist cantonment at Saktikhor. “It’s about 100 metres from the main camp,” said Bhandari. Similarly, CNP officials have found an injured female rhino with a calf. The rhino has injury to its horn. How it was injured is not yet known. Rhino poaching has become rampant in recent months. Twelve rhinos have already been killed during the last five months alone.
In another development, two of the nine poachers released from jail on September 19 under a general amnesty by the cabinet were nabbed by security forces at Chitwan National Park (CPN) a few days ago, along with poaching equipment and guns. The duo, whose names are mysteriously being kept secret by the Park officials, have been detained at CNP head office at Kasara, Chitwan.
“It’s true that the duo are under our detention,” said Tikaram Adhikari, Project Manager at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). But Adhikari said he didn’t have the names of the poachers and referred to Laxmi Manandhar, spokesperson at DNPWC. When contacted Manandhar said, “The files have been misplaced. I have to find them first to tell you the names.”
The cabinet’s decision to release the notorious poachers on the occasion of “Democracy Day” drew widespread flak from conservationists and the like. This is not the first time that a poacher released un der amnesty has been found poaching again. District Forest Office (DFO) guards had arrested four other poachers a week ago. “Among the arrested is Sukaram Bote, who was also released from jail a few years ago without completing his term,” said a DFO source. (source)
Related blogs:
1. The talks of rhino in an elephant race (in Nepali language)
United We Blog 
Comments
123 responses to “Save Rhino: Let This Animal Live”
This completely democratic state of Nepal is only democratic for leaders, poachers, thugs, gangsters, loan defaulters, corrupt ministers and murderers. Forget rhinos, save nepal.
What can we expect when the arrested poachers are set free by the judiciaries of Nepal.
It is outrageous that some are blaming the so called regressive forces for the death of these rhinos…. when will this government and the terrorists ever be accoutnable for ANYTHING? You name any incident that has taken place since April for which any of the two parties SPA or M has taken any responsibility, they would ratehr deflect the blame on forces that may not even exist anymore. Why are they allowing these incidents to take place right under their nose and absolve themselves by blaming the invisible regressive forces? Yo desh ma sabai bhanda chokho bhannu tehi aatanka badi haru ra ghusyaha neta haru raichan.. aru sabai chain chor nai chor!! It is the people in POWER, the government and the terrorists (as they also claim to have a parellel government system in place) who should come out and take the moral responsibility for everything that is going wrong in this country because they have, either by the state arrangements or by force, been bestowed with the responsibility to make sure that things are in order. Else, people have to come out to kick their asses and dismiss them as “ayogya and asaksyam”.
Aba gainda maatrai hoina manchhe nai sankat maa chha.
Even though i did not read the whole article im aware of all the things going on and i definitli think that organisations such as WWF should but a stop to this. Nepali Government should also do something about conserving the endagered specie.
Poor Rhinoceroes! You all are not better than the fate of the nepali folks! Afterall you also live in Nepal!
M
It’s horrible and tragic to see such a majestic animal being butchered. The government as always sits on its hand and does nothing.
Maoists’ smuggled arms must have been used to kill these animals and those in the army who are responsible for protecting these animals have failed to stop this. They both are the culprits together with the real ones.
Forest and Soil Conservation minister Gopal Rai , Justice Ministers Narendra Bikram Nembang, Environment minister Man Bahadur Biswokarma, Defence minister Girija Prasad Koirala and home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula should resign taking the moral responsibility in not being able to stop this carnage. They are incompetent beyond belief.
I guess the pervasiveness of Loktrantra is in jungle, too. When you tip the balance and create biase and unwarranted tilt all these things happen. But the sad the fact is- in Nepal the ones who wontonly sacrificed innocent lives in the streets and child solders blood to come to power find a way to put blame on others whereas THEY are the ones GUILTY and Punishable.
Dear Gaida you have lost your life in vain as much of your human kind have done the same- a typical Nepali trait.
This shows our political situation and accountability of the government. Sack the Home Minister…Sack the Forest Minister…they should be made accountable…
And thanks UWB, for covering this story….
SPA(+M) have no time to concern it. They are busy in making their empire in politics. Isn’t it?
I think its Gyane in partnership with girija, sitaula and prachanda.
Rhinos are being killed in Nepal, they are being disappeared from here. Still Gyanendra’s son Paras took a pair of rhino to Austria last year? What the hell is this? Why he had to present rhino to foreigners?
Rhinoceros unicornis will be extinct within 50 years. If this trend doesnot cease…
I have nothing to add to the frustrations and accusations in the above posts. I agree to the comment that the present government is hopeless, and its members are morons.
The reason for writing this comment is to tell Wagle that vegetarians are sometimes more cruel than non-vegetarians. The example can be drawn from Gujrat incident. The Gujrat Hindus are predominantly non-vegetarians, but they butchered Muslims on the broad daylight in a cruel and disgusting manner. Cruelty to men or animals is in no way related to food habit. I think people who are running a vegetarian campaign (hypocrats such as Karna Shakya) need to understand this more than non-vegetarians.
Whether anybody like it or not, Gyanendra had at least worked for conservation of wildlife at past. Since his own existence is in stake now, who will come forward to save these wild animals which are our national-treasures?
Ha, ha, ha.
What is this monk man saying, huh? Gyanendra worked for conservation of wildlife? Come out of monastery and think with a cool mind. Gyanendra did more smuggling of precious herbs and animals than conserving natural resources. In the name of the king’s brother, Gyanendra looted the natural resources as much as he could and he created such an environment that many smugglers were created out of ordinary Nepalese.
Stop blaming everybody. Just get the interim legislature formed so the police posts can go back up and start patrolling the area again dammit.
Oh, and I wonder what would have happened to those poachers had they killed a cow?
I mean at least ‘Mahendra Prakriti Sanrakshyan Kosh’ was active and Army were deployed for conservation.
And, dear Monk, right under the cover of the SAME Kosh, Gyanendra did all his illegal activities. The kosh of the Kosh was never transparent and royalties, especially Gyanendra and company, did whatever they liked to do with the money in the name of saving Nepali natural resources.
Paras and Rhino,
So easily you can blame. Now gyanendra is no more there then who is killing the Rhinos under the security of SPA? Isn’t your comment funny? Nepal Prakriti Samrachhyan is under SPA more under congress more under Girija and Sujat, more under their own relatives. Then who is to be blamed for it??? You got only one person to be blamed for everything. But how long????
Dineshji
Thanks for this report. I grew up in chitwan, and I remember seeing lost rhinos stomping along Kair river in the morning towards my house. They were innoquous, hideous creatures, but they gradually started to look cute to me, specially the baby rhinos. As I grew up, I realized that they might not be as beautiful as deers, but they were unique to us. We were supposed to live with them, share the habitat, and most importantly love them.
We do. Most of our chitwane neighbors do. Some, however, have been wayward. I remember a particular minister, Santa Kumar Chaudhary, in Panchayat era from Chitwan. I think he was heavily into this, and had been caught quite a few times. There were other powerful and rich people whose involvement into this heinous trade was talk of the town. Ordinary people don’t revel in killing animals, they don’t have contact in international market either. It is the powerful people who we should be careful of.
Biswo Poudel
well i do think rhino poaching is a serious offence her in nepal.but just because it is serious does not mean people should just be blamed with out enough proof..and also it does not mean people can just frame innocent people..i mean they have a right too..just catching people and saying that they are guilty is not ttrue..i hope judicairy of nepal will work to do all they can to ensure justice.
I had never thought that this Wagle bloke could ever imagine bringing in such a quality blog discussion.
i think Neil’s right. why is it that we always need to point a finger at someone?
baru k garna sakinchha po bhanne ta. the police/army posts definitely need to go up but the main issue here is poverty and lack of proper, more appealing opportunities than chopping the hooves off an animal.
I am seeing Home Minister is to blamed for it. Why they are releasing the major culprits before. It shows there is something fishy, isn’t it??
Conspiracy theory……This blog loves to created traffic by speculating. Here some other
Links the writer spend all of the 5 minutes investigating the reason for Rhino deaths.
10. Tooth fairy
9. Dipendra’s Ghost roaming the jungles with a US donated M16
8. Paras golf balls
7. Air pollution
6. Load shedding
5. hrithik roshan
4. Bin laden
3. Pope
2. India
1. George Bush
Any of you journalist want to go undercover…try and investigate the end market (aka China), how horns get there, distribution channels etc speculation is for amateur journalists. My 5 year old could do better.
Nepal will catch a lot more people poachers if it infiltrates distribution networks that by
Increasing troops in the jungles.
I think your on to something with the load shedding.
I think you’re on to something with the load shedding.
#11. Double posting
ok,
this case is crystal clear, the rhinos r being killed and now they r almost in the verge of being extinct form nepal.
ppl in the top most level have to make the decision and make this decison asap and poaching should be discouraged.
serious measures have to be taken, TODAY.
the measure may b, shot @ sight whoever or whatever may the poacher b.
kill them.
they came to kill the rhino so kill them.
that’s justice
IF RHINO CAN BE SAVED BY DECLARING IT NATIONAL ANIMAL, I REQUEST THE GOVT+SPAM TO DO IT IMMEDIATELY. ONE SOLUTION:- COW AS WELL AS RHINO (i.e. BOTH ANIMALS) CAN BE DECLARED AS NATIONAL ANIMALS.
Monk is rite !! Gainda should also be declared National animal along with cow!! Another solution: The temporary camp of Janasena can be shifted towards the periphery of Rhino area !! And the regular patroling can be done to stop poaching !! Otherswise lets wait till Maghe Sakranti !! Gainda ko lagi pani chuttai antarim sambidhan fapchha ki ??
Monk is rite !! Gainda should also be declared National animal along with cow!! Another solution: The temporary camp of Janasena can be shifted towards the periphery of Rhino area !! And the regular patroling can be done to stop poaching !! Otherswise lets wait till Maghe Sakranti !! Gainda ko lagi pani antarim sambidhan fapchha ki ??
“Save Rhino” campaigns and things like that wont work unless a relentless crusade against this organized crime is initiated. This calls for a strong strategy where our police/CIDs need to infiltrate this illegal community and bring them to books once and for all. Reactive actions alone wont work. Beefing security around the sanctuary alone wont work. There is an organized trade out there which needs to be infiltrated and quashed.
Dinesh, euta blog feri jaaos. “Foreign Diplomats in poaching maa.”
Ya those organised traders should be sacked down !! But how ?? It would not be wrong to say that the concerned authorities of the sanctuary (Some crooked officers of Home ministry, Nepalese Army and others working out there) should also be suspected behind this inhumane act !! How can they be infiltrated and penalized ??? They might be afai dhaami afai boksee !!
ONCE AGAIN ENCIRCLING WITHIN THE RACKET OF MAFIA AND CORRUPTED LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL BODIES……………..AIN’T WE FEEL PITY WITH THE FATE WE BORN?? SEE HOW OUR HANDS ARE BOUND ………………JESUS!!!!!!!!
Back to Rhino – diplomatic involvement in killing them for the business:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/news/story/2007/01/070110_rhino_poaching.shtml
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Lets get them and find out who are in Nepal helping them. I bet Royal family members asap and diport them.
WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS AND NO SUPPORT OR INCOURAGEMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ANY ONE AND GILTY ARE TO BE PUNISHED
LETS LIVE AND LET LIVE
i’m not being sick or anything but nothing lasts forever but that animals life shouldn’t be taken like that either so however you want to look at this is still wrong!!!
I think that what they do to these innocent Creatures is sad and just sick. I think that the government should pass a law that gives people no right to killl and torment these animals in this sick selfish way. Animals deserve to be alive and free in their natural habitat their home. We just go into their home and just decide to kill them. Well how would you like if somone just went into your home and decided to kill you right there in the spot. You wouldnt like that and neither would your family and thiers either. Did you ever think that thats why animals try to attack us when we enter their territroy? Well there is really no way to explain the disgust and the poor selfish people who do this.
what is wrong with you people. you all type on here saying what to do, but have any of you even tried to help the rhinos. Everyone is blaming the government and yes it is partly their fault, but it is not all them. They need some help with this growing problem. One more thing is “B” who says that we need to save Nepal, Nepal will always be there the rhino may not in 1994 was the first time that the population did not go down. we have been doing better though with population, but that could all change. you cannot just talk about what should happen you need to actually help. which i would do, but is a lot harder when you are 14 and no one listens to you when you are young
I can’t believe that! I LOVE Rhinos and I think they have no reason to be treated like that.
I FEEL SO BAD FOR THESE ANIMALS. LOOK HOW WE TREAT THEM!
I feel like cutting the noses of those God-traitors WHO DID THIS!!!!!!!!
save animals,save humanity
Why don’t leaders of countries realise how important these endangered species and animals are. They give our lives colour and a sense of being. It is up to all of us to do our bit somehow by making people aware. If you inform one person a day this wll help awareness. And maybe, like a spring can feed an ocean leaders will take notice of public awareness and pressure. I think you get my gist.
Hello MB where Are You if you wanna really work for nation then go and save the RHINO, feri jungle gara aafai po suru garne hoki…
Jay Federal Democratic Nepal
i cant beleiv that some won would do this to such a cool animal