In a first instance of its kind, poachers in Assam removed the horn from a rhino after tranquilising it (instead of resorting to the usual practice of first killing it) in the state’s Orang National Park, officials said on Thursday.
The incident came to light on Monday when personnel deployed in the park found the dehorned sub-adult male rhino aged around 8-10 years, during routine patrolling in Muwamari area.
“Only in rare cases do rhinos lose their horns during fights with other rhinos. But in order to be sure, we summoned a team of experts, including veterinary doctors from the state zoo in Guwahati who visited the park on May 10,” Pradipta Baruah, divisional forest officer, Mangaldai wildlife division, said.
After tranquilising the rhino, the team found that the horn was cut with a sharp weapon by an expert hand, officials familiar with the matter said. No bullet injuries were found on the rhino. The team concluded that the animal was tranquilised by poachers and then its horn was removed.
“This is the first instance of poaching of a rhino horn using tranquiliser guns in Orang. Earlier, one-two such instances were recorded in Kaziranga National Park in the state. But this is the first time we have found that the horn has been removed in such a manner that the animal continues to be alive and healthy,” Baruah, who is also the field director of Orang Tiger Reserve, said.
{{/usCountry}}“This is the first instance of poaching of a rhino horn using tranquiliser guns in Orang. Earlier, one-two such instances were recorded in Kaziranga National Park in the state. But this is the first time we have found that the horn has been removed in such a manner that the animal continues to be alive and healthy,” Baruah, who is also the field director of Orang Tiger Reserve, said.
{{/usCountry}}Orang is one of the few national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Assam which have a population of one-horned rhino, an endangered species targeted by poachers for its horn, which is used in Chinese traditional medicine and fetches a very high price in international markets.