Third rhino killed inside Kaziranga national park

Poaching of one-horned rhino is not very uncommon in Assam, what's uncommon is the recent use of sophisticated weapons by poachers who outpaced Assam's Forest guards who are still using outdated weapons such as the .303 rifles.

After experimenting with assault rifles such as AK-47 and AK-56, this time the poachers have opted for more sophisticated weapon like M4 rifle to kill one-horned rhino in UNESCO world heritage site -- Kaziranga national park in Assam's Golaghat district. Kaziranga is famous as the home turf of the one-horn rhinos.

According to Assam Forest Department sources, a one-horned rhino was killed by poachers at Kaziranga, some 195km from Guwahati, late on Tuesday night. The poachers had cut and taken away the rhino's horn. This is the third rhino to fall prey to the malicious poachers inside the national park this year. Last year, 17 rhinos were killed and their horns poached.

"The incident came to light when the forest guards heard gunshots from the Burhapahar range around12.30 in the night. Immediately an operation was launched but the carcass of the rhino was only discovered on Wednesday morning, near the Deochur camp in the Burhapahar range of the park," said a senior park official.

Interestingly, the involvement of a Naga insurgent group, especially NSCN (K), is suspected after police and forest monitors seized discharged cartridges of advanced weapons, including that of M4 carbine, at Kaziranga, sources added.

"Some 31 fired cartridges were been recovered from the site. They were that of M4, AK47 and INSAS rifles. Police also found more cartridges from the spot. The first occasion when that poachers have utilized M4 carbines.

Prior, we had recouped cartridges of M16 rifles. This demonstrates the contribution of aggressor outfits in poaching," said Park director MK Yadava.

According to World Wide Fund for Nature, Illegal rhino horn trade and even trade of other Rhino body parts like nails, skins have very high value in Asian traditional medicinal market and are sought after in South Asian market.

Earlier, Assam government has claimed that militants operating in Northeast India are not being used as sharp shooters by rhino poaching syndicates. With the decrease in insurgency, some of the splinter militants group are making money as hired poachers and using their sophisticated weapons, sources added.

Ever since the NDA government came to power at the Centre in 2014, rhino poaching in Assam has been a political tug of war between Centre and the ruling Congress in Assam. But promises made by both Centre for a special rhino protection force, more sophisticated weapons and drone surveillance have never not materialised as yet.