Kaziranga National Park Shoots Poachers To Protect Rhinos

There's one message that we can all relate to and abide by in this world: Poach eggs, not rhinos.

Though that phrase has its comedic values, and poached eggs are in fact the dog's bollocks, it does have its serious connotations. In short - poaching rhinos or elephants is a true act of bellendery.

Kaziranga National Park, in India, has the rule that authorities can shoot poachers in order to protect the wildlife there.

Though controversial, and fairly immoral, the park's conservation of rhinos has been immensely successful. When it was set up a century ago, Kaziranga only had a few Indian one-horned rhinoceroses, now they have 2,400, the BBC reports.

In the recent past Sir David Attenborough and his team visited the park to film Planet Earth II, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who visited last year.

Credit: PA

The rule states that rangers have been given powers by the government to shoot and kill those they suspect might be poaching. This means that there's a possibility that someone who is innocent may be shot.

"The instruction is whenever you see the poachers or hunters, we should start our guns and hunt them," a ranger told BBC News. "Fully ordered to shoot them. Whenever you see the poachers or any people during night-time we are ordered to shoot them."

The BBC reported that during 2015 more people were shot by guards at the park than rhinos were killed by poachers. While the number of rhinos being killed being down is a positive, it is questionable whether or not the act of shooting, and in some instances killing, people in order to save them is okay.

Avdesh, the guard who spoke to BBC News, claims that he's shot two people in the four years he's been working at Kaziranga. He says that he's never killed anyone, but if he had there'd likely be no consequences for his actions.

Rhino's horns can be sold as miracle cures for a lot of illness and go for a hell of an amount - as much as $6,000 for 100g - which is why poaching is so rife.

There are a lot of things going into stopping this dastardly act, which is good news.

Back in January of last year animal rights activists in Hong Kong, which is the world's largest retail market for elephant tusks and ivory, said they'd be clamping down the sale of the product in order to try and save elephants, 30,000 of which are reportedly killed every year.

According to CNN, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong's leader, has vowed to phase out the trade and bring in stronger penalties to those who try to illegally trade endangered animals.

This is a huge win for animal rights activists of WildAid Hong Kong who told CNN they were 'absolutely delighted' with the news.

Mark McGowan

Mark is a journalist at LADbible, who joined in 2015 after a year as a freelance writer. In the past he blogged for independent football fan channel Redmen TV, after graduating from Staffordshire University with degrees in journalism and English literature. He has worked on campaigns such as UOKM8? and IIOC.