Acting on a tip-off, forest guards launched an operation near the Arimora camp in western part of the Kohora range of the National Park and confronted a group of five poachers who opened fire when asked to surrender, a Park official said.
The forest guards opened fired in retaliation during which a poacher was killed and two others received bullet injuries but managed to escape, the official claimed.
The forest guards recovered a .303 rifle and several rounds of ammunitions from the encounter site.
In another incident, the carcass of an adult Royal Bengal tigress was found today near Bornonoli camp under Bagori range of the Park by patrolling guards.
The tigress is suspected to have died of natural causes about six days back but the carcass has been sent for post mortem to ascertain the exact cause of the death, the official added.