By IANS,
New Delhi : Twenty-four rhinos were poached in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park in the last two years, the Lok Sabha was informed Wednesday.
Of these, 18 were poached in 2007 and six in 2008, Minister of State for Environment and Forests K. Regupathy said in a written reply.
“Lucrative price for rhino horns in clandestine international markets is the main motive behind the poaching of rhinos,” the minister added.
He also informed the house that the Assam government had submitted a Rs.160 million annual plan of operation for the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve under the centrally sponsored Project Tiger.
Against this, the central government had approved an amount of Rs.45 million, of which Rs.15 million had been released so far, Regupathy said.