Poachers kill rhino, calf in Assam taking toll to 41

Guwahati: Two one-horned rhinoceros were killed and their horns removed by poachers in Assam’s Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, taking the total number of rhinos killed in the state to 41 during the year. Patrolling forest guards heard gun shots last night and found the rhino and her two-year-old calf with their horns removed near Hazarbigha camp in the southwestern area, park officials said today. Four empty cartridges were recovered from the area. [caption id=“attachment_1222437” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PTI[/caption] A massive combing operation has been launched in the park and its adjoining areas to nab the poachers. Of the 41 rhinos killed this year, Kaziranga National Park recorded 34 killings, followed by three in Orang and two each in Manas National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Orang, with an area of 78.80 sq km in the Northern Bank of Brahmaputra, has a population of more than 90 rhinos, the second highest after Kaziranga. Rhino horn is highly valued across the world for its alleged aphrodisiac qualities and use in traditional medicine. PTI