3 July 2019




On July 1, 82 constables of the first-ever batch of a “Special Rhino Protection Force” (SRPF) were deployed in various parts of UNESCO World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park in Assam. This special force has one sole objective: to protect the one-horned rhino. The force, which consists of 74 men and eight women, underwent 43 weeks of training and on June 28 participated in a passing-out parade at the 9th Assam Police Batallion (APBN), Berhampur, Nagaon. On July 1, the constables assumed their duties across the national park.

What is the main duty of the SRPF?

“Their main responsibility is to protect the rhino,” says P Sivakumar, director, Kaziranga National Park, “They cannot be engaged in any other duty unless it involves protecting the rhino.” Designed on the lines of the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) (formed in 1986 for the “better protection and security of the forests, forest produce and wildlife of Assam”), the squad, raised in collaboration between the central and state governments, is an initiative of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).  

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