Kaziranga loses year's first rhino

Poachers have killed this year's first one-horned rhino at the Kaziranga national park but failed to take away the horn, park officials said on Monday.

Assam's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Bikash Brahma said that due to the alertness of the forest guards, the poachers could not cut the horn.

"The guards heard gunshots from a place near Bagori range around 9.10 p.m. on Sunday. They fires several rounds in retaliation," said Brahma, forcing the poachers to flee.

"It is a sad incident. But you can see the horn is still intact. This indicates the enhanced security and alertness by our guards," Brahma said.

The poaching of one-horned rhinos have kept the guards at the Kaziranga national park in Assam on their toes. While five one-horned rhinos were killed in the park last year, 18 rhinos were killed in 2016.

--IANS

ah/mr