The carcass of a female rhinoceros was recovered in the Kohora forest range of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam on Saturday.
Initial inputs do not suggest the hands of poachers behind the killing of the rhino as it is suspected that the female, which had also aged, died after being attacked by a tiger in Kaziranga.
According to the information received, the rhino carcass was found a few steps away from the earmarked tourist safari route near Mona Beel in the Kohora range of Kaziranga.
The Kaziranga National Park authorities mentioned that they suspect that the rhino died in a tiger attack. This was deduced as there were tiger paw marks seen on the carcass, the authorities added.
Earlier, on January 22, the year's first rhino poaching incident was reported in Assam's Kaziranga National Park. The carcass of a female rhino was found in the surrounding area near Maklung forest camp of Agoratoli forest range.
Reports claimed that the poachers allegedly killed the rhino and cut off her horn. The forest officials suspected that the poachers illegally crossed the north bank of the Brahmaputra River through boats and entered Kaziranga.
Further, reports stated that the rhino was killed the evening before. The forest officials traced the body the next morning during a routine patrolling inside the forest range.
Right after the incident, senior officers including the Field Officer of the Assam Forest Department reached the spot to enquire about the entire matter. An operation was launched to nab the poachers.
