Skip to main content

The Rhino Horn - Assam takes a Stand!





Ever since I shifted to Assam, it had been a hard time. Almost every other week there is news of a rhino being killed by poachers. Till date, already 5 Rhinos have fallen prey to poachers, 3 of them killed when they had strayed out in search of food or to avoid in-fighting. Last year, 14 Rhinos were killed by the poachers. Although rhinos are of large size and have a reputation of being tough, they are actually very easily poached. Because it visits water holes daily, the rhinoceros is easily killed while taking a drink. The sight of the Rhino carcass, with the horn missing is very demoralising.
But I was delighted to read a special report on the Telegraph dated 23.02.2010. Assam had finally taken a stand. Poachers mainly kill rhinos because of the vague medicinal value of their horns. These horns can easily fetch a few lakhs. Unfortunately even though human beings are supposedly superior to the rhinos in the stages of development, Rhinos know a basic truth which is a myth to the human fraternity. The horn is just a body part, a little different from our nails, but blessed with as much magical powers as them. But spiritual vandalism is the integral part of the human nature and thus, the horn becomes a keeper of magical powers, which can cure many dreaded illness and do great unexplained things! For the fanatic human belief, the Rhino has to pay. Its beauty is definitely its greatest enemy.
According to the report, nearly 1500 rhino horns, lying in different treasuries, will be burnt next month, possibly in the presence of members of international conservation agencies. This should provide a strong message to poachers and insane believers alike that the horn is, with the pun intended, price-less. The horn is not worth anything and neither does it have any magical powers. The Rhino horn is quite different from that of a sheep or antelope because unlike these creatures, the horn is not attached to the skull. It lacks the bony core that is characteristic of bovine animals. In other animals, the horn is composed of a bony core, covered by a thin sheath of keratin. Rhino horn is made entirely of compressed keratin fibres, the same material that is found in fingernails and hair! This study was carried out by Scientists at the Ohio University and they found that the horn contained dense mineral deposits made of calcium and melanin in the middle. According to the study, the calcium deposits make the horn core harder and stronger, and the melanin protects the core from breakdown by the sun’s UV rays. The softer outer portion of the horn weakens with sun exposure and is worn into its distinctive shape through horn clashing and by being rubbed on the ground and vegetation. The structure of the rhino horns is similar to a pencil’s tough lead core and weaker wood periphery, which allows the horns to be honed to a sharp point.
So it is irrational that the rhinoceros horn in powdered form is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, prescribed for fevers and convulsions. Doctors who practice Traditional Chinese Medicine mistakenly see rhinoceros horn as a life-saving medicine. Patients have no idea where these horns come from or what happens to the Rhino which loses its horn. Sadly, all of them die.
To prevent poaching, in certain areas, rhinos have been tranquilized and their horns removed, but this is not the answer to the problem. If this kind of practice is the only solution, very soon leopards will be skin-less, and elephants will have no tusks. Ironically, realisation of the larger section of the human race regarding the wild life is scarce. Humans are not at all compassionate towards the animal race. We sit back, expecting the Forest Department to act and when they fail, we cry treachery! Unfortunately, only the wild life personnel alone cannot save the world’s fauna, we all need to understand our roles here. Unless all the people act as one, the Rhino and its horn are going extinct, separately.
The Rhino horn is precious, and its beauty and genuine value lies where it truly belongs. Just like the Rhino is most beautiful in the wild, its horn is majestic when left intact. I wish to salute the Assam Forest Department for taking a stand and paving the correct path to sanctity. Hopefully, the common man shall follow soon.

Courtesy: The Telegraphy and the World Wide Web.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Doggy Love

For those who know what it feels like to have a dog to call one’s own, there is nothing better than walking through the front door after a day’s work and seeing a furiously wagging tail and barks of love. Just drop the bag and get showed in licks of love as you are pounded by a ball of warmth. I love Dogs. There is no doubt that they are my most favourite mammals in the world! I have been fortunate enough to have grown up in the company of great friends, many of them dogs (pun intended!). When I look back at childhood, there was Kitty at my ancestral place in Coochbehar. She’d drink tea, love to go to walks with us kids, she just loved all of us. I have so many beautiful memories with her. Jespa arrived from Nepal when I was in class 8. My life changed instantaneously, ‘coz here was someone who needed to be cared for and loved and attended to and who’d give back so much more. Jespa was a gem, from saving my bicycle from being stolen to irritating people I loathed, She always knew what...

2441139

“Hello, 2441139, Can you hear me, Bela Bose?” Anjan Dutta sang this song a decade back. And yet, to some people like me, it still rings a bell deep inside. Although the original song is quite pacy, Mr. Dutta performed an acoustic version sometime back, with his son, Neel, which really melts the heart. This song has a special memory of my childhood. As a child, we always look at things at a different perspective. We seldom realise the intensity of the moment. “2441139” was a fun song for me and my cousins in Coochbehar. We play the song until the last part, where Anjan Dutt repeated sings “Hello, 2441139; Hello, 2441139....” We would dial 2-4-4-1-1 (back those days, telephone number used to be of 5 digits). An old lady would pick up the phone and we would bring the receiver close to the speaker of the stereo and Anjan Dutt would do the rest. “Hello 2441139, Hello 2441139...” Then it was growing up and stages of infatuations, understanding love and finally, falling in love. Unless ...

How am I doing, actually?

For past 10 months, a lot of people have been asking me how I have been. And I’ve always maintained that I’m fine. But I guess it’s time I brush aside those fake one-liners and honestly ask myself, “ How am I doing, actually?” I thought I would give up blogging after Baba passed away. Yet here I am, remembering Him, and trying to make a comeback of sorts. I remember how He always encouraged me to write, saying that it was important to have different aspects of one’s life, and not just work till you drop. How do you cope with life after losing that pillar of your world? How do you get a grip on yourself and try to fix your messed up life? How do you take that step ahead, knowing that now there’s no one to fall back to if you make a mistake? Simple, You don’t. There’s no written protocol, no Standard Operating Procedure. Like they say, life simply doesn’t come with an instruction manual. I remember I used to have a decent life, not a care in life, no worries. I had my pare...

A Secret Heaven enroute Shillong, Meghalaya

The delights of finding a pocket of heaven on Earth Have you ever stumbled upon something unexpectedly good when it was least likely to happen? I’m sure you have. It’s beautiful how life works out sometimes. Hope and despair work hand in hand to churn up a magnum opus. That was what happened when we set out to visit Krang Suri Falls one July morning (Read: A drive to Krang Suri Falls ). After a seven-hour trip, we found only despair. Life gave us a shot of hope in the form of Kibo Restaurant and urged us to look up and seek the brighter side of things. Find the rainbow in the clouded sky. This is the story of what happened next. Drive to Shillong from Amlarem Krang Suri Falls to Shillong is a scenic drive Buoyed by a fulfilling meal, we continued our journey through rural Meghalaya, heading towards Shillong. The disappointments of missing out on Krang Suri Falls was immediately forgotten as we indulged in Meghalaya's picturesque landscape. There was a sight to behold at every...

Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji

Sometimes in life, you listen to a number and wonder if you are ever gonna listen to another good song. This is a fear most music lovers have deep within themselves, that maybe, one fine day, all the good music will be gone and we shall be left with only the nasal craps! Thankfully, our fears can never win over our faith and faith delivers yet again. Dil to Bahccha hai Ji is a sweet romantic melody about falling in love and it is so wonderfully composed that one can actually feel the emotions that make love so special. Rahet Fateh Ali Khan sings this wonderful number in “ Ishqiya ”. This song takes me back to that wonderful year in school, mid 2001 to early 2002, when as a class 12 student, I experienced that special feeling. The walks through the basketball court, with my eyes on the class 11 veranda in the second floor.. “Aisi uljhi nazar unse hatti nehin...” Love is magical when it happens to you. The many sleepless nights, the effortless smile from inside just at the sight of E...

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *