HT Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Aug 11: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday lauded the success of “Operation Falcon,” a sweeping anti-poaching campaign launched in 2024 to safeguard Kaziranga National Park’s famed one-horned rhinoceros.
Besides Kaziranga, the “Operation Falcon” concentrated on other national parks and sanctuaries of the state as well that are home for one horned rhino.
Related Posts:
The exercise aimed at eliminating poaching activities in Assam through relentless effort by the state administration.
The coordinated drive, led jointly by the Assam Police and Forest Department, deployed all available resources to track and apprehend poachers operating in and around the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
According to official figures, the crackdown resulted in arrests across multiple districts: Udalguri (1), Darrang (8), Nagaon (6), Biswanath (18), Dibrugarh (1), Sonitpur (2), Karbi Anglong (5) and Cachar (1).
Authorities said the operation relied on a combination of intensive ground-level intelligence and advanced digital surveillance, allowing teams to pinpoint suspects and move in with precision.
Investigations further exposed a larger organised network of six major poaching gangs with links to the illegal wildlife trade funnelling rhino horns through Myanmar.
Sarma said the findings confirmed the existence of an interstate and cross-border nexus behind rhino poaching in Assam.
The sustained operation has already thwarted nine poaching attempts, preventing harm to the park’s rhino population.
“The coordination and spirit of our forces have ensured that these criminals are behind bars,” Sarma wrote on X, crediting the synergy between police and forest officials for the campaign’s success.
Kaziranga, which hosts the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos, has long been a target for poachers seeking to exploit the high black-market value of rhino horns.
In recent years, the state government has stepped up its response, coupling stricter enforcement with technological upgrades.
Sarma said Operation Falcon would continue until poaching is eradicated from Assam, reiterating his government’s zero-tolerance stance on wildlife crime.
“Our commitment is to ensure the complete safety of Kaziranga’s rhinos,” he declared.
