Male rhino found dead in Assam’s Pobitora, horn secured

MORIGAON (Assam): The carcass of a male rhinoceros was recovered inside the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam’s Morigaon district, forest officials said.

Pranjal Baruah, Forest Range Officer at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, said that the rhino died of natural causes and that the horn was recovered for safekeeping.

“On Wednesday, a carcass of a male rhino with the horn intact was recovered by field staff at Jugdol Camp area inside the wildlife sanctuary while on regular duty”, Pranjal Baruah said. Following the discovery, a forest team led by the Range Officer rushed to the spot and recovered the carcass from the bank of Chitalmari beel.

“Later, the necessary post-mortem was done, and the horn was recovered for safe custody. According to the veterinary officer at the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden, the male rhino, aged about 40, died of natural causes. The carcass was disposed of after taking necessary samples for further analysis”, Pranjal Baruah said.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a forest homeguard was killed, and another was injured after they were attacked by a rhino in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Sunday, officials said. The deceased forest guard was identified as Sahabuddin. According to the Kaziranga National Park authority, the incident took place near the Bordoloni Forest Camp in the Kohora Range.

Arun Vignesh, CS, DFO, and Deputy Director of Kaziranga National Park, said the rhino attacked the staff members at around noon while they were on duty.

“One of our staff members, Sahabuddin, a homeguard posted in Bordoloni Camp of Kohora Range, was attacked by a rhino at about 12 noon while on duty and passed away while being brought to Kohora hospital,” Arun Vignesh said.

“In the same incident, another staff member, Ramen Borah, was injured and is currently being shifted to Jorhat Medical College & Hospital for treatment,” he added. (ANI)