The Bengal forest department is planning to get around 2,000 additional personnel on board for wildlife conservation, particularly for north Bengal that has two national parks which together are the second largest habitat of one-horned rhinos in India after Assam.

State forest minister Rajib Banerjee made the announcement while attending a programme on the outskirts of Siliguri on the occasion of World Rhino Day on Tuesday.

“As of now, there are over 300 rhinos in the forests of north Bengal. We need to protect the rhino population, along with other wildlife of our state. That is why the department will soon recruit or engage over 2,000 personnel in various posts. Most of them would be deputed in north Bengal to work for the conservation of wildlife and forest resources,” said Banerjee.

In the past few years, particularly after incidents of rhino poaching were reported in Jaldapara and Gorumara — the two national parks in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts which are rhino habitats, there was a steady demand from wildlife conservationists that the forest department enhance vigil to prevent such illegal activities.

“It is good that the forest department has finally decided to assign more people for forest protection. We hope the vigil would be intensified in forests soon to curb wildlife crimes,” said Animesh Bose, a conservationist based in Siliguri.

The minister also elaborated on another decision taken by the department for conservation of wild elephants. Elephant deaths because of various reasons are common in north Bengal.

“We have decided to form a joint monitoring cell comprising representatives of various state departments. It will work to reduce elephant deaths which occur on highways and railway tracks in the Dooars because of reckless driving and over-speeding trains, respectively. Many elephants are electrocuted also. Tea planters’ associations would be instructed to ask estates to refrain from using blade wires in the boundaries which injure elephants. On the highways, rumble strips would be put in areas through which elephants cross to check the speed of vehicles. The cell will monitor all these works and share information with administrations of different districts,” he said.

Banerjee also inaugurated a herbal garden outside a forest beat office at Sarugara under Baikunthapur forest division near Siliguri.

The garden that has different medicinal herbs is the third of its kind in north Bengal and sixth in the state.

The minister also visited the Bengal Safari Park near here.