Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding endangered feral horses in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Assam, 16/12/2024
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News item titled "the last feral horses in India" appearing in Mongabay dated 05.11.2024 dated 16/12/2024.
The application was registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled "The Last Feral Horses in India" appearing in Mongabay dated November 5, 2024. The matter related to the critically endangered status of the feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam which have survived in the wild for nearly 80 years and the national park is the only place in India where these horses can be found. The article cited smuggling, habitat loss, shrinking grazing lands, floods, and neglect by conservation authorities as the alleged causes behind the dwindling number of these horses.
The article stated that in 2020, the authorities allegedly apprehended a truck trying to smuggle 6 feral horses. It quotes that since feral horses are not covered under the wildlife protection act, 1972 they are not considered wild animals therefore even upon arrest, getting a conviction becomes difficult. Furthermore, there has been no regular census of the horses, which makes it challenging to ascertain their conservation status. It also highlights that the frequent flooding of the Brahmaputra River not only damages the grazing grounds but also exacerbates the erosion of the park's land, reducing space for the horses to survive.
The horses are also under threat from reduced biodiversity in their ecosystem, which further limits food availability. Apart from that, various human activities and cattle farms from nearby forest villages degrade their habitat. Conservationists argue that without urgent intervention, these unique animals face extinction, the article said.
The NGT directed notice to be issued to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam; National Biodiversity Authority (NBA); Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC); Wildlife Institute of India and Zoological Survey of India. The respondents have been directed to file their response by way of affidavit before the eastern zonal bench of the NGT at least one week before the next date of hearing, February 27, 2025.