Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jayanti Natrajan on Tuesday informed the Parliament that the rhinoceroses were either killed by poachers or died of natural causes.

The incidents of poaching took place inspite of the fact that New Delhi provides a huge financial assistance to the Assam Government for the preservation and protection of the one-horned rhinos.

According to the statistics provided by Natrajan, a sum of Rs 3,817.44 lakh was sanctioned for the four protected areas in the State having a high population of one-horned rhinos. The protected areas include the Kaziranga National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Pobitora Wildlife sanctuary and Manas National Park.

The minister informed that immunity from prosecution without the prior sanction from the State Government had been granted to all the forest officials of the State.

“The Assam Government has also granted the power to use firearms to the forest officers at all levels for protection of forest and wildlife in the State,” Natrajan said.

On the flip side, Assam recorded an increase of 304 rhinoceroses according to the 2012 census. According to the 2009 census, the total number of one-horned rhinos in the State was 2,201, and it went up to 2,505 in 2012.