Poachers kill rhino in Orang, shoot park staff

From our Correspondent

MANGALDAI, December 31: The last day of 2014 witnessed a serious threat to Orang tiol Park (ONP) as an organized group of armed poachers killed a staff member of the park after killing a full–grown female pregnt rhino inside the park in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

The gang of poachers also took away the rhino horn. The deceased staff of the park has been identified as Sushil Seal (35), a homeguard of the park and a resident of village Hazang Basti, Silbori near the Park.

Seal, along with another staff of the park, were on night patrol near Belsri camp on the north–eastern part of the park under Borsola Police Station in Sonitpur district. Hearing several gunshots they started searching and suddenly the gang of poachers opened fire at the staff, killing Seal on the spot. The gang of poachers maged to escape taking the rhino horn.

With this tragic incident, a total of three staff of the park died an untural death within the last 40 days while two tigers and two rhinos have been killed in the park this year. Earlier two tigers were killed on April 19 and December 7 while on December 10 poachers killed one female rhino. On the other hand, Lok th Khataniar, a jawan of Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) engaged in the park died in a boat accident on April 17 while a fixed pay labourer Badan Boro met with a watery grave at River Dhansiri on November 27.

The Conservator of Forest entrusted with the charge of the Divisiol Forest Officer in Mangaldai Wildlife Division has been serving for a period of more than five years here since 2009, which is a violation of the government policy.

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