Guwahati: Poachers killed one more rhino in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in the wee hours of Thursday taking the number of rhinos killed in the Park so far this year to 17.
A forest official informed that a full grown rhino was killed by poachers under Tunikati forest camp in Burhapahar Range of the National Park and took away the horn.
Forest staff later recovered three empty cartridges of AK-47 assault rifle near the carcass of the rhino.
It is suspected that poachers from the neighbouring Karbi Anglong hill district were involved in the rhino killing incident.
Rhino poaching incidents continue to expose security measures in Kaziranga Park, which is also a World Heritage Site as recognized by the UNICEF, despite the authorities claiming to have augmented the security measures and provided better equipment to wildlife staff engaged in the Park.
Poachers had killed 21 rhinos in Kaziranga Park in 2014 and 17 in the year 2015.
Unabated killing of the precious one-horned rhinos in Assam was a key election issue during 2016 Assembly polls held earlier in the year.
The BJP which is now ruling the state, promised to tame the poachers and protect rhinos of the state during electioneering.
