Guwahati: Poachers killed yet another one-horned rhino in Kaziranga National Park on Friday morning and decamped with its horn. This is the fourth rhino death in Kaziranga this year.
“Shots were heard at around 7:20am today at the Kukurakata Reserve Forest hilltop under the Burapahar range. The body of the rhino was recovered near the Chirakhuwa anti-poaching camp,” said Bhaskar Buragohain, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Kaziranga National Park.
Poachers had used AK series rifles to kill the adult male rhino inside the park. Forest officials seized 20 empty cartridges from the site of poaching. It is suspected that the poachers entered the reserve through the river route.
Meanwhile, Jalkhalabandha police are assisting the forest officials in the search operation and a dog squad has been pressed into service for the same. Security has been tightened along the National Highway 37 passing through Kaziranga and Karbi Anglong.
The first rhino was poached at Daflang camp area of the Bagori range on January 14, but the poachers could not take away its horn, while the second one was killed at Polokata Tapu near Sitamari under Lahorijan forest camp on February 11. The third rhino was killed by poachers at Lohore Chapori in Majuli district on March 1.
Six rhinos were killed in Kaziranga National Park last year.
Newly-appointed Assam Forest and Environment Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya, had ordered anti-poaching operations in Kaziranga after formally taking over charge on May 3.
(With inputs from Dibakar Das)
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