Authorities in northeastern India have asked the army to help protect endangered one-horned rhinoceroses from poachers.  The soldiers have been made honorary wildlife wardens.  They will patrol Kaziranga National Park.  The soldiers will live in tents in the park while on patrol, which will be done fully armed.

An Endangered One-Horned Rhino

The 267 square mile park is home to more than 1,800 of the world’s estimated 3,000 one-horned rhinoceroses.  Poachers killed about 20 rhinos in the park last year and six have been killed so far this year.  Gangs of armed poachers kill rhinos for their horns, which many believe have aphrodisiac qualities and are used in medicines in parts of South and Southeast Asia.  Rhino horns are also popular in the Middle East, where they are fashioned into handles for ornamental daggers and scimitars.The army’s presence is expected to be a huge deterrent to poachers. 

Soldiers have also been asked to be part of anti-poaching campaigns in six other national parks and sanctuaries.  Previous to this action, the government deployed lightly armed forest guards, who were unable to stop the poaching problem.