In a bid to improve the monitoring and patrolling by introducing technology, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has provided some furniture and equipment to the sanctuary authorities.

The items include a computing system with printer, binoculars, solar chargeable search lights, field camps as well as four motorcycles.

They were handed over to the DFO of the sanctuary in the presence of Dr. Amit Sahai, PCCF Wildlife, Government of Assam.

According to an official release, the next step will be to provide adequate training to the forest staff to carry out the SMART phone based patrols and management procedures and then roll out to cover the entire rhino bearing area of the sanctuary.

It is to mention that recently as a modernization initiative the Assam Forest Department has provided SMART phones to the sanctuary.

Pobitora WLS is a small sanctuary with a total area of around 38km2 which provides home to more than 100 rhinos. These rhinos mostly range within the central grassland areas of around 15km2.

The sanctuary has been a source area for rhinos which have contributed to 22 rhinos to be translocated to Manas National Park under the Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 program.

WWF India has been working in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department for conservation in the state of Assam since last more than two decades and Pobitora is a focal area for rhino conservation.

The program, which was held at Pobitora range office, was attended by Sri Amit Sharma, National Lead Rhino Conservation and Dr Pranab J. Bora Landscape Co-ordinator KKL and other officials from WWF India.