Guwahati: A major search operation is on to nab a gang of poachers, a member of which died in a fierce gunfight with forest guards and security personnel at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, late on Wednesday evening. The poacher who was killed was carrying an AK 56 assault rifle.
Forest department staff and the police also recovered a .303 rifle with three rounds of ammunition and a bag from the encounter site. The bag contained an axe, food items and a torch. It is being suspected that the gang was in the forest to poach one-horned rhinoceros.
The Kaziranga National Park is home to the world’s largest population of the threatened Greater or Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros. Poachers hunt these animals for their horns. Kaziranga is also home to tigers, leopards, elephants and wild buffalo, apart from a variety of other animals.
Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, has said that around 8 pm on Wednesday, the Range Officer, Eastern Range (Agaratoli), received credible information regarding an armed attack on frontline staff stationed at Balidubi Camp.
“All forest camps were immediately placed on high alert, and additional security teams were swiftly deployed to the area. The forest department and local police initiated a joint search operation. Around 10:30 pm, as the joint team reached the Dhanbari area, they detected suspicious movement consistent with the presence of armed individuals. The team issued a warning, instructing the suspects to stop and identify themselves. In response, the armed poachers opened fire on the security personnel,” she said.
The joint team returned controlled fire in self-defence. The exchange of fire continued for about 30 minutes. After firing stopped, the area was thoroughly searched. An unidentified man was found with an AK 56 rifle and 11 rounds of live ammunition. The .303 rifle and the bag was also retrieved, Ghosh added.
The poacher was taken to the Swahid Kamala Miri Civil Hospital in Bokakhat, where he was declared brought dead by the attending medical officer.
“A comprehensive search operation is ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the incident. The Forest Department and Police remain committed to ensuring the safety of Kaziranga National Park and its personnel,” Ghosh said.
On May 21, an armed poacher was killed in an encounter with forest guards at Duramari in Kaziranga. He was carrying a .303 rifle, a bag and an axe.
