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The body of a female rhino was found last night in Orang National Park, where forest guards believe the poachers are still hiding.

After hearing gunfire last evening, forest guards in Orang National Park surprised a group of poachers who had recently shot a female rhino and hacked out her horn.

Divisional forest officer of Orang National Park, Sushil Dalla said via The Telegraph that the poachers managed to escape following a short shootout, but authorities believe they have taken cover in the park.

Our guards accosted a group of at least three poachers near the Amulya anti-poaching camp on the bank of the Brahmaputra. The poachers fired at the forest guards and there was a brief exchange of fire. The poachers, however, vanished under the thick cover of fog.

In this dry season, the river is very shallow in several parts and poachers can easily walk across to numerous chapories (sandbars) in the Brahmaputra. But we did not find any footprints and are, therefore, sure that the group is still holed up inside the park.

A 15km area along the Brahmaputra has been sealed off by army personnel and forest guards, and a dozen elephants are being used to scour the area for the killers.

Sadly, the rhino’s death came shortly after the Wildlife Trust of India provided the park with a supply of anti-poaching equipment.

Dalla is hoping for additional reinforcements against poachers.

We have given a proposal to set up at least 40-foot-tall guard towers.

Orang National Park is home to a population of about 60 greater one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros uncornis). A recent report estimates the total population of greater one-horned rhinos in India at 2,364.

Last year, six rhinos were killed inside the park. However, two poachers were killed and 11 were apprehended.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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