Tezpur: A suspected poacher was shot dead in an encounter with forest guards inside Assam’s Orang National Park in the early hours of Wednesday, officials confirmed.
According to Orang National Park Director Pradipta Baruah, the incident occurred around 12:30 am near the Rahmanpur anti-poaching camp after forest personnel received intelligence inputs about a group of poachers attempting to enter the park to target one-horned rhinoceroses.
“All camps were immediately alerted following the tip-off. During patrolling, our staff noticed suspicious movement and challenged the individuals to identify themselves,” Baruah said.
He added that the suspected poachers opened fire on the guards, prompting a retaliatory exchange.
“Our staff returned fire in self-defence, and the gunbattle lasted for a while,” he said.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya to set up de-addiction centres in all districts
At daybreak, a search operation was launched with the help of forest staff and camp elephants.
The team recovered the body of an unidentified man along with a backpack from the site of the encounter.
“Taking advantage of darkness, heavy rain, and dense forest cover, the remaining members of the gang managed to escape,” Baruah added.
Officials said intensified anti-poaching operations are underway in and around the national park to prevent further infiltration attempts.
