One more rhino killed, two poachers shot dead

Guwahati: Poachers continue to have a field day in Assam’s wildlife conservation area as another rhino was shot dead and horn taken away on Tuesday night in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary about 45 km off Guwahati city to the east.
Poachers shot dead an adult female rhino in the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary located about 45 kms to the east of Guwahati city on Tuesday night and managed to escape with the horn even though forest guards gunned down two of the poachers in an exchange of fire.
A senior forest official said that the rhino poaching incident occurred in an area under
Tuplung anti-poaching camp inside the wildlife sanctuary around 12:15 am past midnight. Forest guards rushed to the spot on hearing gunshots and engaged the poachers in a gun battle that resulted in death of two of the gang of poachers.
Rest of the gang managed to flee along with the horn they had chopped off the slain rhino. Forest personnel recovered one .303 rifle, 10 rounds of live ammunition, two mobile phones and some other objects from the slain poachers.
A driving license recovered from one of the killed poachers was found to be issued in
Churachandpur district in Manipur. Meanwhile, the police have started investigations based on the call-list of the two mobile phones that were recovered by forest personnel.
Pobitora wildlife sanctuary has an area of about 38 sq kms and is located in Morigaon district of Assam.
The sanctuary is known for its highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world.
According to the last headcount carried out last year, the sanctuary had 93 rhinos.
Killing of the rhino in Pobitora sanctuary occurred close on the heels of killing of three rhinos in Kaziranga National Park during March 17 and 22 by poachers.