Rhinos at the Kaziranga National Park. A file picture

Guwahati, Sept. 30: The Kaziranga National Park authorities are chanting “cash to catch” mantra to contain the spurt in poaching. The move followed after 17 rhinos fell prey to poachers this year. Officials of the game reserve today announced cash awards for providing information on poachers.

The categories include recovery of rhino horns, arms and ammunition and arrest of poachers.

“We have not fixed the amount yet but it will not be less than Rs 5,000,” the director of the national park, Surendra Nath Buragohain, said.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Wildlife Trust of India have come forward as sponsors, he said.

According to Buragohain, the aim behind the move is to build an intelligence network the absence of which is one of the main reasons for a sharp rise in incidents of rhino poaching.

“Introduction of cash awards will act as an incentive that will attract more people to provide information on poaching. This is just an effort to collect details.”

Buragohain stressed the need to set up an organised intelligence network by involving more people. “Otherwise it will be difficult to curb poaching in such a vast area,” he said.

“Though several NGOs are helping the park authorities to curb poaching, it does not seems to be enough. Since the area of Kaziranga has increased from 450 square km to 1,000 square km after it was declared a tiger reserve, the task has become more difficult.”

The park authorities have information that some villagers, residing on the fringe areas of Kaziranga, are providing logistical support to poachers.

“They help poachers in lieu of money, however small the amount may be. Introduction of cash awards will make them think twice whom to help — the poachers or the forest officials,” another official said.

There is a shortage of frontline staff for patrolling the park, a World Heritage Site, while the area falling under its jurisdiction has expanded.

There was a shortage of about 100 frontline staff when its area was only 430 square km. Thirty-six of the existing frontline staff have become physically invalid. Over the past two months, the park authorities have apprehended nine poachers and seized a .303 rifle used for poaching.

Fifty-one new forest guards have arrived to beef up surveillance. Thirty forest guards joined duty a couple of weeks back.

Assam forest minister Rockybul Hussain issued a directive to the department to rush forest guards to the park after he visited the rea to take stock of the flood situation.