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Suspected Rhino poacher killed in Assam’s Kaziranga: Officials
A senior official at KNP said they received information about the poaching a few days back and were preparing for combat
Silchar: A suspected rhino poacher was killed by the forest guards in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and Tiger Reserve in the wee hours of Saturday after an exchange of fire, officials said.
Officials said that a cache of firearms, including 3.3 rifles, live bullets, around two thousand empty cartridges and other weapons were also recovered, which shows that the poachers were planning for a massive poaching drive in the park.
A senior official at KNP said they received information about the poaching a few days back and were preparing for combat.
“Our armed team, along with police and other security forces, were keeping vigil on those areas where the poachers generally make attempts,” the official said.
According to the officials, a team of poachers entered the park on Thursday crossing the Brahmaputra River and stayed in the forest the night.
“Our guards saw lights inside the forest at night, and they tried to catch the poachers when the firing started. The poachers started the firing and our team reciprocated. The suspected poachers fled, leaving one of their injured teammates,” the official said.
The forest guards recovered the injured person and took him to a local hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The officials said they are yet to identify the deceased person, but he doesn’t look like a local resident.
“The person was not carrying any document which can reveal his identity but his face indicates that he is not a local resident. It is possible that he was from a neighbouring state, we are investigating the matter further,” a senior official said.
Kaziranga National Park has seen several attempts of poaching in the past but it has reduced in recent years. In 2022, the park recorded zero poaching.
