The incident came to light when forest officials in the park spotted the rhino on Wednesday, without its horn and with severe bullet injuries at Bagori under Karbi Anglong district.

“The poachers have shot at the rhino and chopped off the horn when it was still alive. Veterinarians are now trying to save the rhino,” said a senior official of the park.

Sources said the injured rhino, along with two others, strayed out of the park on Tuesday searching for higher ground as most of the areas inside the park had submerged due to floods. “The forest guards tried to bring it back to the park till late Tuesday night but failed,” said the sources while adding that poachers had taken advantage of the situation and tried to kill it.

On Monday, forest officials deployed in the national park recovered a rhino without its horn. Although the forest officials said the carcass was an old one and that the rhino died a natural death due to floods, the missing horn of the animal indicated a probable poaching angle to it.

Meanwhile, after the recovery of the rhino, the regional committees of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), along with the local people, blocked the National Highway 37 and burnt effigies of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain. The protesters slammed Hussain for his “failure” as Forest Minister. AASU warned the government of more agitational programmes if efforts were not made to apprehend the poachers.

While addressing a press conference at Nagoan on Wednesday, Rockybul Hussain said, “I have ordered Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Suresh Chand to inquire into the incident.” The Forest Minister is expected to meet all the SPs of the districts bordering the Kaziranga National Park to discuss ways to protect the wandering animals of the park from falling prey to poachers.

Slamming his detractors, Hussain said, “Those who are criticizing me should instead be on their toes against poachers.”