[Assam] Again 2 rhinos killed in Kaziranga

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

      2 rhinos killed in Kaziranga
   A STAFF REPORTER  TELEGRAPH INDIA
   [29regrhino.jpg]
   Gory remains

   Guwahati,  April 28: After a lull, poachers struck again in Kaziranga,
   killing two rhinos, including a calf, as the forest department geared up to
   send 25 armed guards to Orang National Park where two rhinos were killed
   last week.



   The carcasses of the two rhinos at Kaziranga were found this morning at the
   Agaratoli range of the national park. The horn was missing and tigers had
   feasted on more than half of the carcass of the calf.


   An official said the adult rhinoâs nails and part of the tail were also
   missing along with the horn. He said this corroborated for the first time
   confessions by a poacher that they have been asked by buyers to bring along
   these body parts of the animal as proof that the horn was genuine.


   Though the rhinos were believed to have been shot three days back, the
   carcasses were recovered this morning from inside the woods near the Turtoni
   anti-poaching camp. âThe tiger which had eaten half of the calf was seen
   moving around when we visited the site this morning,â Bankim Sarma, DFO,
   Kaziranga National Park, said.


   The official said there was a bullet mark on the head of the female rhino.
   âIt is not known whether the three-month-old calf was killed by poachers or
   tigers,â he said.


   With the latest killings, six rhinos have fallen prey to poachersâ bullets
   this year. The last incident took place on February 5. The park authorities
   claimed  to have identified the killers and have provided the names to
   police.

   The incident in Kaziranga comes at a time when the Assam forest department
   has rushed 25 armed guards to Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park which has now
   become a soft target for poachers.


   However, the poachers could not take away the horns. âThe guards should
   reach the park by tomorrow,â a park official told The Telegraph.

   Three rhinos have been killed this year in Orang alone. Last year, three
   rhinos  were  killed. Only three persons on an average are guarding an
   anti-poaching camp in Orang whereas a minimum of 12 people were required to
   man it in three shifts a day.


   The park, on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, covers an area of 78.82
   square km.

   The Darrang district authorities, where the park is located, will introduce
   a boat camp to check poaching.
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References

   1. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51733/*http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ