Rhino alive, horn gone: Poaching takes new form in Assam

Forest Department probing how the animal was made unconscious enough to let poachers saw its horn off

GUWAHATI

A rhino found moving around the Orang National Park with its horn sawed-off posed a new challenge for wildlife officials and experts in Assam. 

Two days ago, the forest guards found the sub-adult rhino bleeding from the spot where the horn was removed.  

Officials of the 78.81 sq. km park said the rhino, a Schedule 1 animal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, was made unconscious before the miscreants removed the horn. 

There have been cases of poachers – mostly in the Kaziranga National Park – taking away the horns of rhinos while they were still alive and killing them. But this is the first such case of poachers “achieving their target” without firing at the animal. 

Award-winning veterinarian Kushal Konwar Sarma said the rhino could not have been immobilised with tranquilliser darts sourced from only one manufacturer in South Africa specialising in drugs for the large herbivore. 

“It is not easy to buy the tranquiliser as it has to come via several central ministries and government agencies, making it virtually impossible for people not in the government to buy or procure it,” he told  The Hindu.