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India’s Assam state makes new plans to halt rhino poaching

FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, a one-horned rhinoceros stands in the Kaziranga National Park, a wildlife reserve that provides refuge to more than 2,200 endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The newly elected government of the northeast Indian state of Assam is launching new plans to crack down on the poaching of the area's famed one-horned rhinos.The state's Kaziranga National Park is home to the world's largest population of the rare rhinos. While overall poaching deaths have dropped over the last few years, a series of rhino killings this year has led the new government to renew its anti-poaching efforts. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, a one-horned rhinoceros stands in the Kaziranga National Park, a wildlife reserve that provides refuge to more than 2,200 endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The newly elected government of the northeast Indian state of Assam is launching new plans to crack down on the poaching of the area's famed one-horned rhinos.The state's Kaziranga National Park is home to the world's largest population of the rare rhinos. While overall poaching deaths have dropped over the last few years, a series of rhino killings this year has led the new government to renew its anti-poaching efforts. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File) FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, a one-horned rhinoceros stands in the Kaziranga National Park, a wildlife reserve that provides refuge to more than 2,200 endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The newly elected government of the northeast Indian state of Assam is launching new plans to crack down on the poaching of the area's famed one-horned rhinos.The state's Kaziranga National Park is home to the world's largest population of the rare rhinos. While overall poaching deaths have dropped over the last few years, a series of rhino killings this year has led the new government to renew its anti-poaching efforts. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)

By Associated Press 2 min read

GAUHATI, India (AP) – The newly elected government of the northeast Indian state of Assam has launched plans to crack down on the poaching of the area’s famed one-horned rhinos.

The state’s Kaziranga National Park is home to the world’s largest population of the rare rhinos, with more than 2,000 of the species. While overall poaching deaths have dropped over the last few years, a series of rhino killings this year has led the new government to renew anti-poaching efforts.

The state’s new environment minister, Pramila Rani Brahma, said Saturday that local police have been asked to join the offensive against poaching. Previously, Kaziranga’s forest rangers and anti-poaching staff handled this responsibility on their own.

Brahma said allegations that some park staff may be involved in the trade in rhino parts were also being investigated.

On Tuesday, as Brahma and other officials visited Kaziranga to discuss the threat of poaching, a female rhino was shot dead by poachers in the vicinity.