Guwahati, Aug 8: Poachers had killed a rhino in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and escaped with its horn.
It is the first killing incident in Kaziranga as the flood badly hit the national park in the last three months.
According to the reports, the forest guards deployed in the park had found a bullet injuries carcass of an adult female rhino inside the park on Saturday.
The carcass was found near Meteka Beel under Gabrai anti-poaching camp of the park.
The forest guards had also recovered six-round empty cartridge of .303 rifle from the spot.
An official of Kaziranga National Park said that the staff of Gabrai Borbeel tower and Kathanibari camp had heard six round of gunshots on Friday evening and the carcass was recovered following the footprints of the poachers.
Forest officials have detained one suspected poacher from the area under Biswanath Wildlife division.
116 wild animals including 18 rhino have died in Kaziranga National Park due to flood this year and by poachers so far.
The park authority said that, 9 rhinos drowned in floodwaters while two others died naturally during the flood situation.
According to the Rhino Population Estimation report in 2018, the total number of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park counted 2,413 rhinos.
12 anti-poaching camps out of 24 camps of the wildlife sanctuary are now underwater.
