(IN): Park guard shoots charging rhino

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090211/jsp/frontpage/story_10516496.jsp

 

Park guard shoots charging rhino

A STAFF REPORTER

 

*Guwahati, Feb. 10:* A frantic forest guard fired at a rhino, which came

charging at a group of environment workers in Kaziranga National Park last

evening, hoping to scare it off but hit its skull instead, killing the

animal instantly.

 

A five-member team from Aaranyak, a non-government organisation working on

environment issues, was working on camera-trapping, a device used to count

tigers, at Bokpara area under the Kohora range of the park around 5.30pm

yesterday when the rhino charged.

 

" The team, along with the two guards, rushed back to their vehicles, but the

rhino kept charging towards them. One of the guards fired two rounds in the

air but that did not scare the animal, which continued its chase. The other

guard tried to aim at its 'front' but the bullet hit its skull, " divisional

forest officer D. Gogoi said.

 

The rhino, which had its two-month-old calf by its side, died within minutes

of being hit by the bullet from the .315 rifle.

 

The calf was rescued and taken to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and

Conservation.

 

" We had to rescue the calf since it could easily fall prey to carnivorous

animals if left alone, " the divisional forest officer said.

 

He said Ganesh Pegu, who had shot the rhino, was a casual worker attached to

the department.

 

Pegu has been working at Kaziranga for over 15 years now and was experienced

in handling guns.

 

" Casual workers are not supposed to be issued rifles but departures have

been made in the past too, and Pegu is an experienced hand, " another

official said.

 

This is the second such incident of rhino killing in Kaziranga. During a

census of rhinos in 1993, an animal was shot dead by forest guards when it

charged at an elephant carrying the census team. The rhino had even bitten

the elephant's legs, forcing the guard to fire at it.

 

Firoz Ahmed, a member of Aaranyak, who was part of the tiger survey team,

said they were travelling in two vehicles and was about to shift a camera,

which was installed on a tree.

 

" Suddenly, a huge rhino and a calf came from nowhere. We rushed towards the

vehicles for cover, but the rhino still kept charging at us. One of the

guards shot in the air twice but to no avail. Thereafter, the second guard

tried to fire a shot on the ground in front of the rhino to scare it off.

But the bullet hit the animal right in the skull, " Ahmed said.

 

" It was a very unfortunate incident but it was accidental. We feel sorry for

the calf, " he said.

 

The NGO has installed several cameras at the Kohora range of the park in the

past two months to track tigers. " Yesterday, we were supposed to move our

cameras to other locations inside the park, " he said.

 

Ahmed said he had faced elephants, buffaloes and rhinos during his work at

the park before.

 

" But never before were we chased by the animal from so close. This one

appeared to mean business. Female rhinos with calves can be dangerous, " he

added.

 

The incident came 10 hours another rhino, which had strayed out of the park,

was killed by poachers at Deothan near Kalianighat.

 

The rhino's horn was found missing.

 

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