Guards get modern weapons to fight poaching

Guards get modern weapons to fight poaching

Context:

• In a major initiative for wildlife protection, the forest guards in Assam were given modern weapons to check poaching of rhinos, tigers and other wild animals.

What is in news?

• Altogether 74 rhinos have been killed by poachers since 2015 and 316 poachers arrested during 2015-17.
• Thus, wildlife fast-track courts have been set up in 10 districts and such courts have been set up for the first time in the country.
• The government launched a new programme – modernisation of arms and equipment for protection, rescue and rehabilitation of rhinos, tigers and other wildlife.
• According to the plan, forest guards were given 954 SLRs, 272 INSAS rifles, 133 rifles of .12 bore, 20 of 9 MM pistols and 91 Ghatak rifles.

Wildlife sanctuaries in Assam:

• Assam has five national parks and 19 wildlife sanctuaries.
• It is home to more than 91% of Indian rhinos (2,431 rhinos as per 2015 census).
• It is also home to 167 tigers, 248 leopards, 1,169 swamp deer besides a large number of wild buffaloes, different varieties of deer and other animals.