Jalpaiguri, Sept. 17 -- Ahead of the World Rhino Day programme on September 22, the Forest Department has started cataloguing wildlife body parts kept in its custody across the Gorumara landscape. The exercise is part of preparations for a programme in Alipurduar, where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to launch an initiative to destroy

wildlife body parts seized from smugglers and recovered from animals that died of various causes as a

message against wildlife trafficking. .

On Thursday, officials of the Gorumara Wildlife Division examined and catalogued body parts recovered at different times from Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and the Neora Valley area. The department is preparing a detailed inventory of the items, many of which have remained in its custody for years.

According to Forest Department sources, nearly 1,000 wildlife body parts from different forest divisions could be destroyed as part of the September 22 programme. These include rhino horns and teeth, deer antlers, and deer and leopard skins, among other items. During Thursday's exercise at the South Range of the Gorumara Wildlife Division, officials examined the body parts, recorded their identity and details, and verified their authenticity. The final list will be prepared after the verification process is completed.

The programme will include wildlife body parts collected by Jaldapara, Gorumara and Neora Valley national parks, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Baikunthapur and Mahananda forest divisions, as well as the Singalila and Sinchal areas.

Gorumara Wildlife Division DFO Dwija Pratim Sen said: "The process of cataloguing recovered wildlife body parts and those collected from dead animals under the division is underway. Further action will be taken after the list is prepared."

DFO Dwija Pratim Sen, ADFO Rajib Dey, Meteli BDO Sumanta Bhowmik, Gorumara South Range Ranger Dhrubajyoti Biswas, panchayat members and wildlife expert Kaustav Choudhury were present during the cataloguing.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.