A female adult rhino was killed by poachers at Kaziranga National Park and its horn taken away when Assam Forest Minister with two Cabinet colleagues and top forest officials were present at the world heritage site.
The rhino was shot dead with a .303 rifle at Demow forest camp in Agratoli Range of the forest around midnight taking the toll to nine this year, sources in the forest department said today.
Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma and her Cabinet colleagues Kesab Mahanta and Atul Mahanta were on a visit to KNP along with the principal chief conservator and other top forest officials last night to take stock of the frequent killing of rhinos and erosion there, the sources said.
On May 1, poachers had killed an adult male rhino in the park and took away its horn.
Rhino horn is believed to have medicinal qualities and commands huge prices.
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Meanwhile, a businessman was held with a 750-gm rhino
horn worth Rs 7 lakh in the grey market when he was negotiating with a person to sell it at Bokakhat near Kaziranga today, police said.
A policeman was in civil dress when he saw them negotiating at Pubdoah village and caught the businessman, who was identified as Sherwandhan Yadhav, the police added.
