The Pobitora wildlife sanctuary in central Assam is known for its rhino density — 84 by the 2009 animal census — when in larger reserves such as Kaziranga and Manas poaching is rampant. The last rhino death in Pobitora was reported in February 2006.
The poachers — some accounts say there were four persons — killed the rhino around 9pm near the eastern boundary of the reserve. A forest official said though guards were present at the eastern boundary camp close to the spot, they could not do much because the poachers fired continuously. According to his version, by the time the guards started chasing the poachers, the rhino had been killed and its horn sawn off. “By the time they tried to do that (give the poachers a chase), it was already too late as the rhino had been killed and the horn taken away. The poachers took advantage of the darkness," the official said. The entire operation was over in 15 minutes.
A .303 rifle was used to kill the beast that took six bullets.
S.K. Seal Sharma, the divisional forest officer of the Guwahati wildlife division, said the sanctuary guards had information that some outsiders were spotted in the area in the last four months. Read the full report here.
Source: Our Correspondent, The Telegraph, Guwahati.
