An adult male rhino was killed by poachers who also took away its horn in the 6th Addition of Kaziranga National Park (Northern Range) in Sonitpur district today, a forest official said.
The rhino was shot dead with two bullets from a SLR rifle at around 7.30 AM and its carcass was recovered with its horn sawed off at Ganai Ati under Gohpur police station, Divisional Forest Officer East division of forest Biswanath Chariali.
Coming out of the park, the rhino was moving along the banks of river Brahmaputra in Gohpur sub-division for the last two days and the forest officials were looking for it, Das said.
The SDO has launched a combing operation since this evening to trace the poachers, he added.
Meanwhile, state Forest Minister Etuwa Munda who is camping in the KNP has ordered suspension of the forest ranger of Northen Range Puspadhar Boragohain with immediate affect, forest officials said.
