One-horned rhino killed in Bengal, 3 arrested

A one-horned rhino was found dead with its horn chopped off at Gorumara National Park in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district and three people were arrested, an official said on Wednesday.

"The body of the rhino was found on Tuesday. As per veterinary officers, the death occurred within 24-48 hours prior to the time of detection and it is a possible case of toxicity," Nisha Goswami, divisional forest officer of Gorumara, said.

Goswami said that as the horn was chopped off, it is definitely a case of poaching.

"Suspects were being interrogated. So far three people have been arrested. The investigation is going on as the case is not yet solved," she said.

The national park is famous for its sizeable population of one-horned Indian Rhino.

As per the World Wildlife Fund, India's October 2015 figures show that the population estimate of the endangered one-horned rhino at Gorumara National Park is around 50.

The last such case of a rhino being killed in this park was reported in 2017 around March, Goswami said.

--IANS

bnd/mag/bg