New Delhi: Poachers have killed two rhinos in Kaziranga in the month of November, according to delayed reports reaching here.These are the first cases of poaching of rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park this year. Six rhinos had died in the floods earlier during the monsoons. Kaziranga National Park, located in the flood plains of the Brahmaputra river, is home to over 1,500 of the 2,000 surviving great one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis) apart from Asian elephants, tigers, many species of deer and the rare Asiatic wild buffalo.

According to Mr Rathin Barman, Manager, Centre for Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation (CWRC), Kaziranga, the first carcass was found on November 8 by a patrolling party of the Panbari beat office in Kohra range of Kaziranga National Park. The rhino, a female, was probably killed on either November 5 or November 6.

The horn of the rhino had been taken away. Though three gunshot wounds were seen on the body of the rhino, no gunshots were heard on the fateful night. A two-year-old calf was also with the female rhino. This was ascertained from the footmarks left by the calf in the vicinity of the carcass. The calf could not be traced.

On November 24, six gunshots were heard at the Arimora beat office in Kohra range at around 4.20 in the evening. The following morning, the beat office personnel found the carcass of another female rhino. The horn had been taken away, and the body bore three gunshot wounds. Even this rhino had a calf for company, gauged from the footmarks found near the carcass.

Mr Barman said since both these spots were near the northern boundary of the Kaziranga National Park, it was quite likely that the poachers would have come from across the Brahmaputra. Combing operations have been launched in the area.