Rhino killed by poachers in Kaziranga National Park

JORHAT/GOLAGHAT: An adult male rhino was killed by poachers in Assam's Kaziranga National Park today and its horn taken away, taking the number of rhinos killed in the first three months of this year to eight.

Forest guards heard gunshots near Tamulipathar camp in the Agaratoli Range of the rhino habitat and launched a search operation in the morning, divisional forest officer S K Seal Sarma said.

The carcass of the rhino was found with five AK rifle cartridges by its side, Sarma said.

Police suspect that Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants could be involved in the killing of the rhino.

Security forces have so far this year killed five poachers/linkmen in separate encounters in Sonitpur, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Golaghat and Lakhimpur districts, while two forest guards also lost their lives.