Guwahati/Golaghat: Police have arrested a person allegedly involved in the recent killing of two rhinos in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, officials said on Saturday.
While the carcass of the first rhino was detected on January 22 morning, the second one was spotted about a kilometre away from the earlier location on Friday, they said.
The horns were missing from both the carcasses, the officials said.
"On January 21, the poachers were able to take advantage of the reduced water levels in the Brahmaputra River and are likely to have sneaked in with AK series rifle. They killed two rhinos almost on the same day under the eastern Range of Agaratoli," an official of the park said in a statement.
Police and forest department teams worked closely to crack the case, which has led to arrest of the “main suspect” and recovery of one rhino horn, nasal bone and the rifle on Friday, it said.
Reconstruction of the crime scene, detailed post-mortem and DNA reports are awaited, the official said, adding, attempts to recover the second rhino horn are underway.
"The park authorities have further strategised and intensified their surveillance and patrolling to counter the improvised method of poaching rhinos with AK rifle," it said.
The official said 79 carcasses of rhinos that died due to natural causes like old age or floods were recovered in the park last year, with all the horns intact.
Earlier, Director General of Assam Police G P Singh had said on X: “Poachers have been arrested along with recovery of poached horn and the AK Rifle used in the poaching. Some more recoveries are yet to be made along with reconstruction of Crime Scene.
'Compliments to the entire team and supervisory officers. Our commitment to protect one-horned Rhinos is unwavering.”
The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has a population of over 2,613 one-horned rhinos.
Published 27 January 2024, 16:44 IST