Rhino killed, finger at poachers

TT, Jalpaiguri: The carcass of an adult male rhino with its horn missing was found at Gorumara National Park in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday and forest officials suspected the hand of poachers.

"We have recovered carcass of a rhino in Garati area of the park. Its horn is missing which is why we are suspecting that the animal has been killed by poachers. The incident is indeed alarming and we have alerted officers at different levels," said Ujjwal Ghosh, chief conservator of forests (wildlife), north Bengal.

According to forest sources, while the guards were on a routine patrolling in the morning, they noticed the carcass. "The animal seems to have been shot and later, the horn has been severed with some sharp weapon. Considering the condition of the carcass, it seems that the rhino has been killed couple of days back," said a source.

In recent years, this is the second time that rhino poaching has been reported in Gorumara within a year. Back on 2017, poachers had entered the park and had killed two rhinos on April 19. They had then sev- ered the horns and had buried the carcasses in the forest area.

Later, during investigation, some arrests were made and it was revealed that a gang of poachers, including expert shooters from northeast, had chalked out an elaborate plan to kill the animals and escape with the horns.

Also, in 2016, three rhinos were poached in Jaldapara National Park, the largest habitat of one-horned rhinos in the state.

"It is obvious that there has been some lacuna in the vigilance. It is unlikely that only one or two persons are involved in the crime. Usually, a gang of five or more men carry out such crimes. How come the forest guards and other officers in the field did not notice outsiders entering the core area," said a retired forester.

After the earlier incidents of poaching, there were specific instructions from the state and from a number of central agencies to step up vigilance in north Bengal.