23 Rare Rhinos Die At Kaziranga National Park, Two Poached On Wednesday

Nagaon, Assam: Two rare one-horned rhinos were killed by poachers in the Bagori range of the Kaziranga National Park early Wednesday morning. A female rhino and her calf were found dead with bullet wounds by officials of the forest department.

A total of 23 rhinos have died this monsoon, most of them due to drowning and some due to old age. With over 80 per cent of the park submerged for more than a week, the rhinos have faced an immense shortage of food.

On Tuesday, a one-horned rhino that had strayed outside the Kaziranga National Park and was being pushed back into the forest rammed a stationery bus on the National Highway 37, right outside the Kaziranga National Park. It took the forest department seven hours to finally make the animal cross the highway and wade back into the park. Many animals from the world heritage Kaziranga National Park have been staying out in search of food as a major portion of the park is under water. Traffic had been halted on the highway to let the animal cross the road.

The situation has also made the rhinos vulnerable to poachers who are taking advantage of the conditions as many of the anti-poaching camps also have faced flooding.

Nine rhinos were rescued by forest department. Eight of rescued rhinos are currently being treated at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation and park authorities have asked people to adopt the animals.

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Not just rhinos, other animals to have not been spared by the monsoon. Several hog deer have not been able to survive the flood and are the worst affected with 221 dying due to drowning.

However, the good news is that flood waters are receding fast. Authorities hope this will check the death figures from going up further.

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