GUWAHATI: Carcass of an adult female rhinoceros was discovered at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP & TR) during routine patrolling on Monday.
The tragic find occurred near the Maklung forest camp of the Agoratoli Forest Range and initial investigation suggest that it was killed by poachers on Sunday evening.
The discovery marks the first incident of rhino poaching in the park this year.
Authorities suspect that the poachers had come from the north bank of the Brahmaputra River via boats to gain access to Kaziranga.
In response to the incident, senior officers, including the Field Officer of the Assam Forest Department, swiftly arrived at the scene.
Till the time of writing this report, an operation has been launched with the aim of apprehending the poachers.
While instances of rhino poaching have significantly decreased due to enhanced surveillance and security measures, the recent incident stresses on the persistent challenges in protecting these endangered species.
Notably, Kaziranga National Park, which reported zero rhino poaching cases in 2022, reported one death in 2023, reports reveal.
Collaborating closely with the forest department, the state government is resolute about defending its rhino population and has been conduction training and awareness workshops across the state.
In a step to improve investigation capabilities of rangers, Kaziranga National Park had conducted an intensive training programme on RhoDIS India (Rhino DNA Indexing System) in late 2023.
During the programme, investigation kits were distributed among 40 forest staff and 10 officers from the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division.
Despite these initiatives, Monday’s discovery has once again highlighted the threat to wildlife, particularly rhinos, posed by illegal poaching activities in Assam.
