In danger

Guwahati, Dec. 21: For a few tourists to the Kaziranga National Park, the brief sight of a rhino hidden by tall elephant grass was an exciting moment this morning. But only when the elephant they were riding on went close to it did they realise that the rhino was, in fact, dead.

Poachers struck in Kaziranga yet again last night, killing a rhino on the bank of the Moamari beel, just 3km from the Agaratoli range office.

The carcass of the male rhino was found just about 100 metres from the main road in the Agaratoli range through which tourists enter the park for jeep safaris. The animal’s horn was missing.

There was a bullet mark on the head of the carcass and a deep wound on the stomach. The horn had been gouged out by the poachers.

The incident took place only half a kilometre away from the site where another rhino was shot dead by poachers on November 14, exposing the worsening situation in the famous game reserve.

This is said to be the first time in Kaziranga’s history that a rhino was shot dead by poachers so close to a range office.

A park official told The Telegraph that gunshots were heard late last evening but dismissed by forest guards as those of crackers frequently used by villagers to chase away wild elephants in the vicinity of Kaziranga.

Ironically the forest guards had no idea about the dead rhino till the tourists informed them this morning.

The forest guard accompanying them informed the authorities immediately.

The official said that it could be the same group of poachers who were involved in the killing of the rhino on November 14. “The modus operandi was the same. The rhino was shot dead from close range and the horn gouged out,” he added.

The park has witnessed the death of 14 rhinos in the hands of poachers this year, the highest toll in the last few years. Six rhinos were killed last year.

The 430 square km park has four range offices — at Kohora, Bagori, Agaratoli and Burapahar.

This year, the park has witnessed the death of 14 rhinos in the hands of poachers, against six last year. In 2007, 18 rhinos had fallen prey to poachers at the park, which is also a world heritage site.

Ironically, a two-day legal training on wildlife crimes began in Kaziranga today. The training is being provided to forest officials to book poachers under stricter laws.

The training comprises an exclusive field component where participants will undertake practical collection of evidence, documenting the crime and pursuing the case to convict wildlife criminals.

The park, in the midst of the tourist season, is agog with activities.