Poaching in Kaziranga looms large; Rhino and calf killed for horn

(Image for representational purposes only)

Guwahati: Poaching, a way of capturing and killing animals and then selling their body parts for money, is a fast growing business and is slowly pushing animals to the verge of extinction.

Animals of various species are hunted down mercilessly and brutally killed everyday.

A place that has recently come under the radar of poachers is Kaziranga National Park, where Rhino's are being hunted down and killed almost every month.

On Wednesday, a one-horned rhino cow and her three-month-old calf were killed by poachers within the sanctuary's premises.

Park officials recovered the carcasses of the female rhino and its calf on Wednesday morning from Bagori range of the park. "The horn of the female rhino was missing while the calf was only three months old," said the park official.

"Normally the poachers take advantage of floods and kill rhinos. However, this year this is the first instance of poaching of rhinos during floods. Our guards have been working day and night to check the poachers," said a park official.

With the killing of the female rhino and its calf, poachers have so far killed 10 one-horned rhinos inside the park since January this year.

Search operations have been launched inside the park and fringe areas to catch the poachers involved.

(With IANS inputs)