Bullet found in rhino’s carcass

January 31, 2007

Bullet found in rhino's carcass

Guwahati, Jan 30: A bullet has been found inside the body of the one-

horned rhinoceros that died at the Panbari Centre for Rehabilitation

and Conservation. The rhino was rescued after it had strayed out

from the Kaziranga National Park.

The rhino had wandered out of the Park in Golaghat district to the

neighbouring Lakhimpur district on December 28 last, and after its

rescue from the Ranganadi Chapori on January 25, was lodged at the

Panbari Centre for Rehabilitation and Conservation, Kaziranga Park

sources said.

The health of the herbivore, however, deteriorated and it died on

Saturday despite efforts by veterinarians at the multi-species

rehabilitation centre to revive it.

On post mortem, a bullet was found lodged in the body of the rhino,

the sources said, adding investigations were on as to how the animal

was shot.

Meanwhile, two one-horned rhino calves were translocated to their

new home in Manas National Park in Barpeta district from the

Kaziranga rehabilitation centre undertaking a nearly 15 hours

journey covering a distance of over 400 km.

The Global Wildlife Conservation Group, International Fund for

Animal Welfare (IFAW) and its partner Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

are pioneering the translocation project.

Translocation of rhinos to other wildlife habitats in the State.

Incidentally, Indian wildlife authorities had made conservation

history in February last year when they, for the first time in Asia,

relocated a one-horned rhino calf to the 519-sq km World Heritage

Site Manas National Park which has less than five rhinos.

The State Government under its " Rhino Vision 2020 " plans to attain a

total rhino population of 3,000 in the State.

Of the world's estimated 2,400 one-horned rhinos, at least 2,000 of

them are in Asom with Kaziranga alone home to over 1,600, the

sources added. (PTI)

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