Poachers kill rhino in Kaziranga, horn missing

Suspected poachers killed a one-horned rhino inside Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday and decamped with its horn despite having an anti-poaching camp in the area.

The bullet-hit carcass of the adult female rhino was recovered at around 11 am on Saturday near Meteka beel, a wetland under Gabrai anti-poaching camp under the Kaziranga range of the park.

"Staffs of Gabrai, Borbeel tower and Kathanibari camp heard six rounds of gunshots at about 3 pm on Friday. The ambush was laid down along the Brahmaputra river bank at night. Following the footprint of the poachers, the carcass was recovered on Saturday. Six used cartridges of.303 rifle were recovered from the spot," said an official of KNP.

This was the second rhino poaching incident in Kaziranga this year after the first incident on May 9.

Rhinos are killed by poachers having links with an international gang of smugglers, who sells the horn in markets in other Southeast Asian countries. Rhino horns have high demand as they are used for the preparation of traditional medicines there.

The KNP official said one suspected poachers has been arrested at Biswanath wildlife division park on suspicion of his involvement in the crime.

Police and forest staffs arrested eight suspected poachers on July 9 averting another poaching bid when Kaziranga was under floodwater. Nearly 95% of the park was flooded this year and more than 153 animals including 12 rhinos died. Flood, however, has receeded now.

With 2,413 rhinos (2018 census), Kaziranga is the home to the world's largest number of one-horned rhinos, besides Royal Bengal tigers, wild buffalo and other animals. But the rhinos in 434-sq km Kaziranga, a UNESCO world heritage site and a tourist attraction has been a target of poachers.