Kaziranga (Assam): One more rhino of Kaziranga National Park, Assam fell prey to poachers’ bullets on December 16, bringing the total number killed this year to a record 20.

The horn had been stolen but was later recovered by the Forest Department officials when they intercepted and killed a poacher from a group of three who were escaping from the national park. Another rhino had been found dead and its horn stolen in Solmara village bordering the park on December 14. Both were adult females.

The Forest Department officials, reacting to the sound of a gunshot at around 4:15 pm, reached Bagori range to find the dead rhino with its horn missing and empty .303 rifle cartridges. They kept constant vigil and blocked all possible exit routes from the site. At around 2:30 am the next morning, they intercepted three poachers in Rongbong village entering Karbiang area. Realising that they had been noticed, the poachers opened fire and the Forest officials retaliated. One of the poachers was killed while the other two managed to escape. The officials recovered the freshly removed horn and a .303 rifle.

In another incident, four poachers were arrested from Bhakte Chapori, a Brahmaputra river island. Uttam Saikia, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Golaghat District, who was accompanying the Numalighar forest guards during the time of capture, said “there were two stray rhinos roaming Bhakte Chapori which is an ideal habitat for rhinos. The Forest Department had received information about poachers stalking the rhinos and had initiated the operation to capture them.”

The poachers, he said, were noticed when one of them had climbed up a tree to locate the rhinos. The team then surrounded the spot and arrested them. A hand made gun, a bottle of gun powder hand made bullets were among the items recovered from the poachers.