The national institute will conduct genetic research on this rare animal part in order to develop scientific protocol before the state destroys its stock of rhino horns by setting fire to it.
Suresh Chand, Assam chief wildlife warden, told TOI on Thursday, "As we have decided to burn the stockpiled rhino horns preserved in various district treasuries of Assam, the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun has asked us to provide samples of rhino horns for their research before the public burning."
He added that the national institute wanted the rhino horn samples for its research to see whether they could detect any scientific value in the horns. He revealed that although these horns have a high market value in both national and international clandestine markets, as per research conducted earlier it has been proven that they have no actual monetary or medicinal values. However, there is an insatiable demand in east Asia, especially in China, because of their touted medicinal benefits.
A former director of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) told TOI that as many as five one-horned rhino horns had been sent to the wildlife institute in 2008, from which their chemical composition had been discovered.
The Assam wildlife authorities have recently decided to conduct a public burning of the state's stockpile of 1,650 rhino horns, and according to the wildlife warden, the plan would be executed soon in a transparent manner.
The authorities also formed a state-level monitoring committee comprising both national and international environment specialists, representatives of the central and state governments, scientists from forensic laboratories and members of NGOs. The committee was headed by principal chief conservator of forest and head of forest force, Assam.
The prime duty of this group is to form district level monitoring committees in order to organize public hearings in all the districts of the state before burning the horns.
Meanwhile, Assam forest department sources said due to the lack of a proper scientific preservation system, the horns, stocked in district treasuries, are decaying. Besides, the sources said, the world famous one-horned rhino found only in Assam is yet to get international recognition, not only in conservation efforts, but also initiatives towards displaying its horn at museums across the globe. Although the state forest department can send rhino horns to world museums by formulating a policy, such a step is yet to be taken.
The central government, which needs to open diplomatic channels with various countries to include rhino horns from Assam as a display item in their museums, does not seem concerned about the matter.
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