Jorhat, Dec 3: Forest guards in Kaziranga National Park on Monday fired in the air suspecting the presence of poachers inside the habitat of the Great Indian Rhinoceros.
Park authorities said guards fired seven rounds in the air in the Burapahar range of the Park hearing unusual noise and suspecting that poachers were there to attack rhinos for their horn.
No one was injured and the animals were safe, the sources said.
A search operation was also launched for the poachers but none was found, the sources said, adding security measures were stepped up inside and along the boundary of the 430 sq. km Park in upper Assam.
Meanwhile, the carcass of a female rhino with its horn intact was recovered from near Hulalpath camp from Kohora range of Kaziranga National Park on Monday.
The mature rhino had died due to natural causes, divisional forest officer D. D. Gogoi told PTI. The forest department has taken custody of the horn.
Another rhino had died last week due to natural causes after it got stuck in the mud at Borbeel under Kohora range of the Park.
Earlier on November 20, 2012 a mature rhino was killed and its horn removed at Kukurkata near Kathalchang forest camp in Burapahar range of the Park taking the total killed by poachers this year to 20.
Altogether 66 rhinos have died so far during the year in Kaziranga National Park with 23 due to natural causes, 23 in flood waters, besides 20 others killed by poachers.
