From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: A flood-hit rhino was shot at by poachers near flood-ravaged Kaziranga National Park in the wee hours on Wednesday.
The poachers also took away the horn and chopped off portion the right ear of the animal that was left profusely bleeding.
According to a senior wildlife official, the rhino had strayed out of the flood hit park on Tuesday and was being constantly guarded by the forest personnel before it strayed further towards the Karbi Anglong hills to the South of the Park and the forest staff lost track of it at the darkness of the night.
Gun shots were heard by forest personnel in the early morning hours and a search was launched. The rhino was found lying seriously injured and profusely bleeding as its horn had been sawed off by the poachers.
Park officials informed that veterinarians were still trying hard to save the rhino that is struggling for life. The rhino poaching incident sparked protests from various people’s organisations in the area.
Activists of the organisations sat on the National Highway 37 in the area in protest blocking the traffic for hours.
Meanwhile, 22 animals perished in Kaziranga National Park in the current wave of flood. These included four rhinos, 14 hog deer, three wild pigs and one samber deer.
The flood also claimed two elephants and one wild pig in Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.