On World Rhino Day, Assam CM burns 2479 seized horns at Kaziranga

In a bid to send a message to the world that the rhino horn possesses no medicinal value, 2479 one-horned rhino horns were consigned to flames by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Kaziranga National Park, on Wednesday. The one-horned rhino horns were burnt with complete rituals and state honour (gun salute). To mark World Rhino Day, a ceremony was performed by priests, where the band of Assam Police played the funeral beat, followed by Gayatri Mantra. After this, Chief Minister lit the pyre with a drone. 

6 customised pyres were built to burn horns 

Earlier, addressing the same, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma sent a strong warning to poachers. He said, "Poaching will not be tolerated anymore and poachers have also understood that the present government is very tough. The Assam government took the decision in a cabinet meeting last week to destroy the rhino horns recovered from the natural death of rhinos, poachers and smugglers to bust the myth around rhino horns that they possess high medicinal value. Sarma on Wednesday said, "We have sent a message to the world that the rhino horn has no medicinal value and is just an organ which is of no use."

It may be mentioned that when a rhino dies of natural cause, the horn is cut off from it before burial, to ensure that no one digs it out to trade the horn. Meanwhile, over 50 rhino horns are still with the government as cases linked to them are still sub judice. The government has also decided to preserve 94 rhino horns as heritage pieces for academic purposes. Among these, the longest horn with a length of 51.5 cm, weighing 2.5 kg, at the Guwahati treasury and the heaviest horn weighing 3.05 kg from Bokakhat treasury are also included.

(Image: Twitter/@HimantaBiswa)