Assam: NGT demands action for endangered feral horses in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Centre and others over the critically endangered status of the feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam.

In the order passed on December 16 in a suo motu case, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said the "unique" horses, found only in the national park, were facing extinction and required "urgent intervention." Feral horses reportedly descend from the stock of domesticated horses but are untamed and roam freely.

The green body had taken cognisance of a news report indicating the animal's "dwindling" numbers owing to smuggling, habitat loss, shrinkage of grazing fields, floods and neglect by the conservation authorities.

Referring to the news report, the bench said these horses were not covered under the Wildlife Protection Act and in the absence of a census, it was difficult to ascertain their conservation status.

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"The matter indicates a violation of the provisions of the Biodiversity Act and Environment Protection Act. The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance with the environmental norms," the tribunal said.

It impleaded as parties or respondents the secretaries of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Biodiversity Authority besides the directors of the Zoological Survey of India and Wildlife Institute of India and the state’s chief wildlife warden.

"Issue notice to the above respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the eastern zonal bench of the tribunal (in Kolkata)," the tribunal said.

The matter would be heard on February 27.

According to the report, these horses have survived in the wild for about 80 years and were believed to be descendants of war horses either from World War II or China’s Przewalski’s horse species.