KNP guards gun down poacher

The Sentinel , Thursday, July 12, 2007
Correspondent : Staff Reporter
Guwahati, July 11: Forest guards last night gunned down a poacher during an encounter inside the Kaziranga National Park (KNP).

Official sources said the encounter took place between the guards and a group of three poachers at the Burapahar Range of the park.

One of the poachers was shot dead on the spot, while the other two managed to flee in the cover of the night.

Search operations were on following reports that other accomplices of the poachers were holed up in and around the area.

The encounter comes five days after authorities of the Kaziranga National Park dashed a report to the Asom Government explaining the loopholes in the park’s security machinery which had abetted the recurring incidents of poaching.

Eight rhinos have been killed by poachers inside the park this year alone, prompting the state government to review the security apparatus in the world heritage park.

In the report, the KNP authorities cited that lack of manpower, outdated arms and inadequate budgetary allocation were seen as major shortfalls which required immediate attention.

A senior forest official said there were reports that militant outfits operating in and around the park might be involved in the poaching, making it furthermore difficult to curb the menace. Since 1995, at least 93 poachers had been killed while another 660 arrested in the KNP alone.

The world heritage site had witnessed the killing of 558 one-horned rhinos since 1980.

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Sentinel

 
SOURCE : The Sentinel, Thursday, 12 July 2007
 


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