Assam mark World Rhino Day burning around 2500 confiscated Rhino horns

GUWAHATI: Assam government marked the occasion of World Rhino Day burning around 2500 confiscated Rhino horns publically at Bokakhat in Golaghat district of Assam today.

The rhino horns were seized from poachers and collected from dead rhinos in the state.

The event was host by Kaziranga National Park.

The act was carried out in accordance with the 1972 Wildlife Act.

State Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was the chief guest in the Rhino horn burning event.

Speaking at the event, CM Sarma stated that the government's astonishing move is to raise awareness and give a message to the poachers as well as the general public that rhino horns have no value when you killed the exotic animal thinking of its high value in the illegal market.

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CM Sarma further stated that the medicinal properties of the Rhino's body are a myth and that poachers should not harm the animal for this reason.

The state cabinet decided to burn rhino horns from state treasuries in a meeting on September 16.

Rhino horns have been deposited in the Bokakhat treasury from Barpeta, Tezpur, Morigan, Mangaldoi, Kohora Barpeta, Nagaon, BTR, and Golaghat.

The event was also attended by State forest minister Parimal Shulklabaidya and other cabinet ministers.

The Assam Police have seized around 2,479 rhino horns, among which 2,623 horns were decided to be destroyed and 94 to be preserved.