Poachers Caught, But the Battle Isn’t Over
Three suspected poachers arrested in connection with the brutal killing of elephants in Manas National Park, including one beheaded.
Well, it’s about time. For far too long, the majestic elephants of Manas National Park have been at the mercy of bloodthirsty brutes masquerading as men. And now, at last, we hear that three suspected poachers — Abid Borgoyari, Mahesh Islary, and Jiron Basumatary — have been nabbed by the police in Chirang’s Amtenga village. Frankly, it’s a relief — but let’s not break out the bunting just yet.
Because what sort of depraved soul hacks off the head of an elephant? Yes, you read that right — one of the three elephants recently found dead near the Palengshi beat had been beheaded, the severed head nowhere to be found. This isn’t just poaching — this is butchery, a grim, grisly business soaked in greed and cruelty. And let’s not sugar-coat it — these weren’t crimes committed in some forgotten corner of the jungle. This happened in Manas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a national park protected by law, treaties, and more paper promises than a bureaucrat’s filing cabinet. Readers may recall I had voiced my concern and anger regarding this on 3rd of this month in an article titled Elephants Butchered In Manas National Park.
But there’s a silver lining — a glimmer of hope in this charnel house of ecological apathy. Thanks to swift action led by Additional Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Mahato and Officer-in-Charge Pankaj Doley, the suspects were cornered and cuffed. Two handmade firearms were seized, along with a number of “objectionable items” — no doubt bits and bobs tied to their vile trade. It’s a ray of light, albeit faint, in an otherwise murky swamp of complicity and silence.
Let’s not beat around the bush — this wasn’t an isolated incident. The forests of Assam have become a playground for organised poaching syndicates who know how to exploit every loophole, every lazy guard post, and every underfunded ranger station. And despite Manas being under international and national conservation frameworks, its borders — especially along the Indo-Bhutan stretch — have remained as porous as a colander. One begins to wonder if some officials have been asleep at the wheel — or worse, turning a blind eye altogether.
What’s galling is that it took such a heinous act to light a fire under the authorities. Where was this energy before the killings? Why does it take three dead elephants, one with its head missing, to get a proper raid going?
Still, let’s give credit where it’s due. The arrests are a step in the right direction. But now comes the hard part — ensuring these three don’t simply vanish into the fog of a slow-moving legal system. We’ve seen that movie before. Interrogations must be thorough. Forensic evidence must speak louder than bribes and backdoor deals. If this trio is part of a larger racket, as is widely suspected, then the entire rotten tree must be felled — not just a few low-hanging branches.
Because make no mistake — justice for the elephants of Manas is long overdue. This is not a one-off news item to be buried by tomorrow’s headlines. This is a wake-up call. We owe it to our forests, to our future, and above all, to the innocent creatures butchered in cold blood, to stay angry, stay alert, and demand accountability until the last link in this vile chain is snapped.
Enough is enough. The elephants cannot speak — but their silence must thunder through every courtroom, forest station, and ministry office until justice is not just done, but seen to be done.
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