File picture of police personnel displaying a rhino horn recovered in Sivasagar

Guwahati, June 3: For long, the Assam government was, to use a cliché, on the horns of a dilemma: what was it to do with the large number of seized rhino horns rotting in different places of the state? It has an answer now.

The horn of the rhinoceros unicornis, the pride of Assam, may soon find a place in museums across the globe with the Assam government formulating a policy to dispose of the horns, which are decaying because of lack of scientific preservation.

Forest minister Rockybul Hussain said a committee, headed by the principal chief conservator of forest, S. Chand, has been formed to collect data of rhino horns lying in treasury offices across the state.

The largest number of rhino horns is in possession of Golaghat district treasury, sincethe Kaziranga National Park is under its jurisdiction.

Hussain said the state government has also moved the Centre for help, as the proposal will need diplomatic communication with various countries.

“The large number of horns seized from poachers or found on dead rhinos are decaying for lack of proper preservation. We are trying to send them to various museums across the globe. This will carry Assam’s name across the globe, since the one-horned rhino is found only in this state,” the minister said.

Rhino horn, believed to have aphrodisiac value, is in great demand, especially in Southeast Asian countries. The horn, in fact, has turned out to be the animal’s greatest enemy, with poachers killing them regularly for the booty.

The minister said the army has also requested the state forest department to provide them with rhino horns so that these could be displayed in various army museums across the country.

The principal chief conservator of forests said the committee would make an estimate of the number of rhino horns and other valued animal parts now kept in various treasuries.

“The basic aim of this new venture is to preserve these precious wildlife products,” Chand said. He said damaged animal parts would be disposed of permanently.

Sources in the forest department said the government has also been contemplating presenting these seized parts, especially the rhino horns, as mementoes to state guests and dignitaries.

“Since we have a large number of these precious animal parts, and most of these are getting damaged, why not present these to state guests after turning them into mementoes?” another forest official said.