Officials from the Assam Forest Department have reported that a one-horned rhino was found dead within the Agoratoli Forest Range of the Kaziranga National Park on Sunday.
The carcass of the rhino was found near the Maklung forest camp within the national park. Forest guards who were patrolling the area noticed the carcass and took it to the forest department for postmortem.
The Assam Forest Department says that this is the first poaching incident of the year and a skilled team of officers has been dispatched to investigate the matter. The team will also be examining video footage from the area to obtain leads.
“These poachers are skilled in trapping and killing animals such as rhinos. They fled with the horn,” forest officials said.
The one-horned rhino was one of only two remaining endangered species in Assam when it was listed as a vulnerable species in 2008. In 2022, the Assam Forest Department reported no poaching of rhinos, with only one confirmed incident recorded in March 2023. The poaching of the rhino is being considered a serious threat to the state’s efforts to conserve biodiversity.
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The Assam Forest Department has taken several steps to combat poaching, including the installation of CCTV cameras and security staff in the protected forest areas. However, the department acknowledges that more needs to be done to address the issue. The department is committed to protecting the unique ecosystem of Assam and ensuring the survival of the one-horned rhino for future generations.
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