By IANS
New Delhi : A rhinoceros calf was shot dead and her mother was seriously injured by poachers in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park early Sunday, park officials said.
The incident occurred in a paddy field near Methoni tea estate barely two kilometres from the famed Kaziranga national park. An official said poachers took away the horn of the mother rhinoceros. Her calf died instantly.
“We are trying to save the injured rhinoceros though there is very little hope. A post mortem is underway to ascertain the number of bullet injuries the calf received,” Uttam Saikia, a wildlife expert, told IANS over telephone.
This is the second time a rhino has been killed this year in Kaziranga. On Jan 4, an adult female rhinoceros was killed in Bagori range of the park.
“It’s a big challenge for the authorities to trace the poachers. It appears the poachers have changed their techniques as they are poaching more often near the National Highway 37 and are using vehicles to escape,” Saikia said.
Last year, around 20 rhinoceros were killed in the park.