Third rhino killed in Assam's national park in 2016

Poachers have killed yet another one-horned rhino at Assam's Kaziranga National Park on Tuesday night, taking to three the total number of rhinos killed since the dawn of 2016, officials said on Wednesday.

The poachers also took away the horn of the rhino, the officials said. The latest killing came less than 48 hours after the second rhino was found killed.

"Gun shots were heard from the Burhapahar range around 12.30 p.m. and an operation was launched immediately. But on Wednesday morning the forest guards recovered a carcass of the rhino from near the Deochur camp in the Burhapahar range of the park. The horn of the rhino was missing," said the park official.

Authorities recovered 28 rounds of empty cartridges of M4 rifle, indicating involvement of militants behind the killing of the one-horned rhino.

On Sunday last, poachers killed another one-horned rhino at the Burhapahar range of the park and forest officials had recovered empty cartridges of AK series rifles from the spot, which also indicated involvement of militant outfits, officials said.