Guwahati: The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam has a significant population of over 2,613 greater one-horned rhinoceros, thus making it the largest habitat of the endangered species in the world. In the past one year, the KNPTR frontline staff was able to successfully detect and recover a total of 79 rhino carcasses, with their horns intact, that had died due to natural causes, including old age or drowning in the annual flood waters.


However, on Sunday, nefarious poachers sneaked into the famed park with a sophisticated AK series assault rifle taking advantage of the reduced water levels in the Brahmaputra River. After entering the park, the poachers did not strike once, but twice, killing two adult rhinos almost on the same day at Agaratoli under the Eastern Range of the park. A rhino carcass with its horn removed was detected early Monday. The second rhino carcass was detected by an elephant patrol party on Friday within a kilometre radius. The multiple killings of rhinos on a single day took the park authorities and police by surprise as it was unexpected that the poachers had improvised their poaching tactics, the KNPTR authorities stated in a press release.


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A joint team comprising forest guards and police immediately swung into action to nab the poachers. After continuous and relentless efforts, the team finally arrested an alleged poacher, Jagu Pegu, and subsequently recovered one rhino horn, its nasal bone, and an AK series assault rifle late Friday night. Though reconstruction of the crime scene and detailed post-mortem and Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) reports are still awaited, the arrest of the prime accused and recovery of the rhino body parts have brought cheers within the forest and police teams for their swift and prompt action in solving the case in a record time.


However, attempts to recover the second rhino horn are still underway. The park authorities have now strategised and intensified their surveillance and patrolling in the park to counter the improvised methods of poaching rhinos using AK series assault rifles, the release added.


Speaking to ABP Live, a top official of the KNPTR said that a total of 186 rhinos have been killed by poachers in the park between 2000 and 2023. The park witnessed the highest number of rhino poaching cases in 2014 with the killing of 27 rhinos followed by 26 in 2013. However, no case of rhino poaching was reported in the park in 2022.


In view of the recent killing of rhinos, an additional battalion from the 2nd Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) has been deployed. The park authorities have also strengthened river patrolling inside the park. The park authorities have requisitioned Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs) as floating camps from the Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), Assam.


The KNPTR is one of the most sought-after destinations in India for both domestic and foreign tourists as it is famous for the ‘Big Five’ animal species; the greater one-horned rhinoceros, royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, Asiatic wild buffalo and the eastern swamp deer. The park, spread across three districts of Assam-Nagaon, Golaghat, and Biswanath, also has the highest density of the royal Bengal tigers in the country.


The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.


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