Guwahati | Members of Village Defence Parties (VDPs), whose contributions have been instrumental in protection of wildlife, especially one-horned rhinoceros in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, have been provided with essential field gear by the police and a biodiversity organisation in Assam's Morigaon district, a senior officer said.

Fifty members from 25 VDPs were provided with essential field gear – torches and raincoats --at a programme held at Mayong police station recently, a press release issued on Saturday said.

The essential field gear has been provided to enhance their efforts in wildlife protection and monitoring, particularly for safeguarding the one-horned rhino of nearby Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, District Superintendent of Police Hemanta Kumar Das said.

The field gear presentation programme was organised by biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak in collaboration with the Morigaon District Police and supported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF).

The initiative is aimed at addressing challenges related to human-wildlife conflict and poaching, Additional Superintendent of Police Dhrubajyoti Nath said.

During the event, VDP members shared their experiences of dealing with rhino-related conflicts in Mayong area in the district, including a recent tragic incident when a man was killed by a rhinoceros.

The SP also discussed strategies to reduce such conflicts by understanding animal behaviour and taking precautionary measures.

Aaranyak's secretary general Bibhab Kumar Talukdar pointed out that VDP members' vigilance had ensured that no poaching incident occurred in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in the past eight years.

The 38.85 sq km Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of rhinoceros population, providing grassland and wetland habitat for the animal.