Guwahati: A partially decomposed rhino carcass, with the horn missing, was found in a water body at Kaziranga National Park on Thursday.
With this, the number of rhinos killed in floods rose to 22.
Kaziranga divisional forest officer Suvasish Das ruled out the involvement of poachers and said the animal had probably drowned.
Park officials added that the horn might have been stolen or it might have broken off from the body after it started decomposing.
"We didn't find any bullet injury marks, so we don't think the animal was killed by poachers," an official said.
On Wednesday, Kaziranga, a World Heritage Site, lost a female rhino and her calf to poachers. This was the first incident of poaching since the 430-sqkm park was submerged by floodwaters that left more than 300 animals dead.
Forest minister Pramila Rani visited the park to take stock of the anti-poaching measures taken. She said she would ask CM SarbanandaSonowal to engage the Army for at least six months to help forest officials take on poachers.
With floodwaters receding, the park officials have started assessing the damage caused in Kaziranga.
Though a large part of the park has dried, a thick coating of mud is preventing movement to the interior parts of Kaziranga.
