JORHAT: Kaziranga National Park lost another rhino to poachers on Friday. Poachers killed the rhino and chopped off its horn in the Agoratoli forest range of the park. Forest staff found the carcass at a place between Pahumari and Rongamotia anti-poaching camp in Agoratoli forest range.
Park officials said the rhino was killed by poachers a few days back. "We heard gunshots from the Pahumari anti-poaching camp area on Tuesday night. On hearing the sounds, a group of forest guards launched an operation, but the poachers managed to flee towards the hills of Karbi Anglong. No one has been arrested in the operation. Our staff also launched a search operation in the said areas, but no carcass was found on that night,'' said divisional forest officer (Kaziranga) Shil Sharma.
"We believe the rhino was killed on that night and poachers cut off its horn. But our staff failed to locate the animal on that night due to the darkness," he added. The incident occurred a few hours after the first test flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for better surveillance began in the park.
The state forest department had urged the Centre to provide an unmanned aircraft in Kaziranga National Park for better surveillance in the forest to check rhino poaching and accordingly, the first test flight for the unmanned aircraft was conducted in the park on Monday. The state government is now awaiting the Union defence ministry nod to use the facility. It will make Kaziranga the first national park in the country with an UAV system.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Rhino-killed-in-Kaziranga-horn-chopped-off/articleshow/19519137.cms
Park officials said the rhino was killed by poachers a few days back. "We heard gunshots from the Pahumari anti-poaching camp area on Tuesday night. On hearing the sounds, a group of forest guards launched an operation, but the poachers managed to flee towards the hills of Karbi Anglong. No one has been arrested in the operation. Our staff also launched a search operation in the said areas, but no carcass was found on that night,'' said divisional forest officer (Kaziranga) Shil Sharma.
"We believe the rhino was killed on that night and poachers cut off its horn. But our staff failed to locate the animal on that night due to the darkness," he added. The incident occurred a few hours after the first test flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for better surveillance began in the park.
The state forest department had urged the Centre to provide an unmanned aircraft in Kaziranga National Park for better surveillance in the forest to check rhino poaching and accordingly, the first test flight for the unmanned aircraft was conducted in the park on Monday. The state government is now awaiting the Union defence ministry nod to use the facility. It will make Kaziranga the first national park in the country with an UAV system.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Rhino-killed-in-Kaziranga-horn-chopped-off/articleshow/19519137.cms
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