Guwahati, Aug 8:  A move is afoot to promote tourism in the rhino habitat at Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, nearest to the state's capital city.

A joint team of state forest and tourism departments would be sent soon to assess the infrastructure requirement of the wildlife park to cater to tourists' needs.

The habitat of one-horned Asiatic rhinoceros at Pabitora sanctuary is just about an hour's drive from here. Tourists running out of time to visit the famed rhino habitat in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), about a four hours drive away from the city, can have a glimpse of the rare animal here.

The wildlife habitat is surrounded by lush green tea estates making it a viable tourism package of rhino and tea estates, characteristic of Asom valley. The density of rhino population in tiny Pabitora wildlife sanctuary is more than that in Kaziranga National Park.

Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation in North East India, along with the UK based David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation has taken various steps to improve wildlife policing in Pabitora park that is under constant pressure from rhino poachers.

The Aaranyak recently made arrangements for distribution of 110 rain coats to all the forest staff of Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

The NGO has taken the initiative to prepare a GIS based map on the rhino straying out of the sanctuary.

The society has promised to provide wireless equipment to Pabitora sanctuary in the winter to enhance wireless communication network within and outside the sanctuary.

Aaranyak secretary general Bibhab Talukdar informed that an anti-poaching motorised boat would be provided in the sanctuary shortly to enhance patrolling in the river front and wetlands.


UNI