Informing this to the reporters, the representatives of at least seven wildlife NGOs also expressed surprise over the luke warm response of the government.

Referring the case of Manas National Park, which lost its entire rhino population in 1990s, the wildlife activists said, "We can not be complacent about Kaziranga."

Regretting that forest officials are reluctant in taking pro-active steps on information given by NGOs, the secretary-general of Aarnyak, an NGO, Bibhab Talukdar said, "We have given a lot of information to the authorities about the possible movement of poachers but in the last one year forest officers failed to take any action."

Veteran advocate, Gautam Uzir who was also present in the press conference pointed out that government should create a separate wildlife division so that parks and wildlife sanctuaries could be protected.

In reference to the shortage of manpower at Kaziranga, he said, "There are more than 100 illegal check gates of the forest department in the state and most of the forest staffs want their posting on these places for the reason best known to all. There are check gates which has as many as 45 staffs." He, however, clarified, "I am not here to blame any one. We ourselves are responsible for the present condition of rhino in Kaziranga."

Stressing the need of a people movement to protect the rhinos, Mr Uzir said, "A civilised society should not be a silent spectator to such inhuman and brutal killing of rhinos."