Poachers take advantage of floods, kill two rhinos in Kaziranga
Poachers killed two rhinos and chopped off their horns as they had strayed out of flood-hit Assam’s Kaziranga National Park to escape floodwaters on Wednesday.
One of the rhino’s horns was cut along with its ear while the animal was still alive. The male rhino’s carcass was later found at Parkupahar area in Karbi Anglong hills adjoining Kaziranga. Forest officials found the carcass of the other rhino killed on Wednesday with the horn missing at Gotonga area in Bagori range of the park. Poachers attacked the rhino while the animal was taking shelter at an elevated place after escaping the deluge inside the park.
The killings occurred four days after another rhino was shot dead in the periphery of Kaziranga. The park has lost four rhinos within the span of a week. The death toll due to poaching has reached 14 this year.
“Poachers are always on the prowl for rhinos during floods. When the animals move out of the park in search of elevated ground, they became easy target for poachers. Despite stepping up our vigilance, poachers have managed to kill the rhinos,” a park official said.
The official added that a close watch is being maintained on five rhinos still sheltered in the forested areas of Karbi Anglong.
This time, Kaziranga experienced the worst floods in the past eight years. Nearly 700 animals, including 19 rhinos, perished in the first wave of the deluge in June this year. The floods have also disturbed the anti-poaching mechanism, making patrolling difficult.
The spurt in rhinoceros deaths has triggered protests from different organizations in the state.
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