Guwahati, Dec 2: A joint team of police and forest personnel on Thursday arrested a man for allegedly attacking a female rhino with a sharp weapon when the animal had strayed outside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The person has been identified as Naren Saikia (47), a resident of Lokhorakhonia.
According to reports, Naren Saikia threw a spear at the rhino that had ventured into the area.
Saikia was produced before the court, which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.
Drone combing combined with elephant patrolling surveillance was undertaken by the forest department staff led by forest ranger Dr Bibhuti Ranjan Gogoi and the carcass was detected on November 30 at 2.30 pm near Teteliguri Anti Poaching Camp (Ekorani Area) inside the National Park.
The female rhino is estimated to be aged 20-30 years and the cause of death has been ascribed to the injury on the left flank back rear portion of the stomach with deep penetration of the weapon (spear) across skin and ribs.
After the intelligence gathered by DFO of Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Arun Vignesh and team, Naren Saikia was arrested.
The rhino census in 2022 found 2,613 rhinos in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Assam’s biggest tourist attraction.
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