Training on RhoDIS (Rhino DNA Indexing System) at Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve.

Aiidesh News  :  20 September 2023  :

With an aim to improve the skills of the forest staff of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve on rhino crime investigation, a training program on RhoDIS India (Rhino DNA Indexing System) has been organised. Around 40 forest staff from Eastern Assam Wildlife Division and more than 10 officers attended this training program organized at the Convention Centre in Kohora on 19th September. The training was imparted byi Amit Sharma, National Lead for Rhino Conservation, WWF India, and Dr Khanin Changmai, Associate Coordinator-Animal Health from Brahmaputra Landscape, WWF-India.

The training covered the basics of investigation procedures under the RhoDIS India program as per the Standard Operating Procedure approved by the MOEFCC, Govt. of India, use of the field sampling kits for collecting biological evidence and maintaining the chain of custody, and use of the Crime Investigation kit. Two sets of crime investigation kits as listed under the RhoDIS India were also handed over to the Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve. RhoDIS India is a program jointly developed and implemented in India by the MoEFCC, WII, WWF India, and the rhino-bearing states of India since 2016.

The RhoDIS India program has been adapted and further improved from the RhoDIS program developed by the University of Pretoria in South Africa. This tool in India was introduced in 2014 through a series of workshops organized in Assam by WWF India and the Assam Forest Department by bringing in experts from South Africa. The RhoDIS India program was initiated in 2016 and has been implemented across India since then the RhODIS India laboratory for the analysis and creation of the rhino DNA database is hosted by the Wildlife Institute of India. To date, around 20 rhino crime cases from across India have been analyzed and reports provided which has helped in the legal proceedings of the various crime cases. For the first time for sample collection of rhino crime cases, a special tamper-proof sampling kit has been also developed under the program that has been provided for use to the various rhino-bearing areas of India.

"Now with the provisioning of the crime investigation kits which contains a host of tools including a metal detector and skilling of the manpower it is anticipated that systematic investigation of the rhino crime cases would be possible thereby strengthening the fight against poaching" a forest official said to Aiidesh.

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