A dehorned, partially decomposed carcass of a rhino has been recovered by Sildubi forest personnel inside the Haregari Kathoni in Panpur Reserve Forest under Jamugurihat Police Station in Sonitpur district.
The forest officials said it has been suspected that the rhino was a victim of poaching which took place on May 29, 2018. The search for the carcass of the rhino continued and it was recovered only on Friday evening.
Pranjal Baruah, forest range officer of Sixth Addition Kaziranga National Park told this correspondent that the forest officials heard sounds of six rounds of firing but were unable to locate the place due to dense forest, but the search operation continued.
Baruah said, “Despite the fact that the area falls under a dense terrain, the carcass was recovered with bullet injury on its forehead by our limited staff members lately. One empty cartridge has also been seized from the spot.”
“The area where the carcass was recovered is about 35 km from Panpur Reserve Forest inside the Sixth Addition Kaziranga National Park,” added, the forest official.
Also read: Three poachers arrested near Orang National Park
A case has been registered under Wildlife Protection Act and Arms Act under the Northern Range and Jamugurihat Police Station by the forest staff.
This is the fifth rhino killed by poachers in Kaziranga this year and the second after Parimal Suklabaidya took over as the Forest Minister on April 27, 2018.
On June 5, 2018, the Northern range forest officials and police nabbed two dreaded poachers under Sootea Police Station in Biswanath district of central Assam.
The arrested poachers on June 5, 2018 were identified as Sanu Gurung of Balijuri under Sootea Police Station in Biswanath district and Maharam Mansuri of Bhalukpong under Chariduar Police Station of Sonitpur district when they were trying to enter the famed national park for poaching rhino in an Alto car bearing registration number AS12-S-6096.
Police had seized one .315 rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition, mobile phones and some incriminating objects from the possession of the nabbed poachers from Koraiani area.