A forest guard stands near the rhino carcass, in Kaziranga National Park on Friday. Picture by UB Photos

Jorhat, Oct. 25: The forest guard at Kaziranga had his target within range and pulled the trigger but his rifle jammed at the crucial moment and the poachers escaped.

The battle is fast turning into one of unequals as forest guards take on poachers armed with AK-47s with obsolete .315 and .303 rifles.

A group of three poachers struck at Kaziranga National Park about midnight last night, killing a rhino at Burapahar range, about 250 metres to the northeast of the range office and 100 metres from National Highway 37, just a week before the park opens its doors to tourists on November 1.

“The male rhino died but the poachers fled without being able to remove the horn as forest guards patrolling the area started firing as soon as they heard gunshots and gave chase,” Burapahar ranger Jinaram Bordoloi said.

“Nearby we found an AK-47 magazine with 26 bullets, two empty cartridge cases and one live bullet,” he added.

Thereafter, the fleeing poachers were intercepted at two points but they managed to escape to Karbi hills.

As the poachers move eastward, they were confronted by three forest guards atop a watch tower (tungi). “The poachers were within range and the guards had a clear shot but it was then that the .315 rifle of one of the guards jammed. The .303 rifle belonging to another guard also misfired and the moment was lost,” Bordoloi said.

As soon as he heard the news, the ranger himself set off with two platoons of 14 men and chased the poachers through Amguri village upto the hills. Here, the two parties exchanged fire for some time but the poachers managed to escape again.

Park director N.K. Vasu said all the guards were armed with SLRs or .315 and .303.

He said the poachers could have been insurgents or surrendered militants. “The magazine left behind by the poachers is an earlier version of AK-47 series. This could mean that a surrendered militant had not given up his rifle or that an extremist had bought a second hand AK-47 rifle of the early series.”

Besides the killing of the rhino, Bordoloi was also upset that no one from Phulaguri, the village nearest to the site of the killing, came out to help the guards on hearing the gunshots.

“Not a single person came out to help although they had pledged to do their bit to protect what they call their national treasure,” he said.

Gang kills rhino at Kaziranga, dodges guards thrice

Altogether 25 rhinos have been killed in Kaziranga National Park this year

About 1200 personnel — including forest guards, boatmen and Assam Forest Protection Force staff — guard the park

Forest guards are armed with SLRs, .303 and .315 rifles

Kaziranga, a Unesco World Heritage site, is spread over 800sqkm that include new areas added to the north bank of the Brahmaputra

The park will open to tourists on November 1