By IANS,
Guwahati : After two one-horned rhinos succumbed to injuries caused by poachers, a team of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) arrived in Assam Friday to assess the situation following the recent spate of poaching of the rare rhinos in Kaziranga National Park.
The two rhinos were shot at by suspected poachers near the park and their horns chopped off while they were alive in the wee hours of Wednesday and Thursday. The rhinos succumbed to their injuries Friday evening.
A total of six rhinos have died near the national park in less than one week.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had Thursday announced that he would ask the CBI to probe incidents of rhino poaching.
Gogoi had also announced a bounty of Rs.5 lakh to anyone who could provide information about poachers in Kaziranga and other protected areas of the state.
Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain had also said that the government would deploy the army in adjoining areas of the national park to foil attempts of poachers.
Hussain admitted that 11 rhinos had been killed by poachers in Assam since January, barring the six killed this week.
“The WCCB team arrived in Assam today and they directly headed to the Kaziranga National Park. They will look into the matter of poaching of rhinos,” Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Suresh Chand told IANS Friday.
He also confirmed the death of the two injured rhinos and said that the veterinarians of the forest tried their best to save them.
Chand added that the chief minister also reviewed the security of the national park.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the state home department said the government has sought the help of the army and other central paramilitary forces to foil the attempts of poachers outside the park-in adjoining Karbi Anglong district.