Guwahati, Oct 15 (PTI) A suspected poacher was shot dead during a gunfight with forest guards in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park in the early hours of Wednesday, an official said.
Based on intelligence
inputs about the movement of armed poachers inside the park, all anti-poaching camps were alerted to conduct searches and seal possible exit routes.
Around 2.50 am, a river patrol team of Burapahar Range spotted a light source from an unknown object in Maite Tapu and noticed the movement of a group of armed poachers.
“When they were asked to stop, the armed poachers opened fire at the forest team. The guards retaliated with controlled fire in self-defence,” the official said.
Additional forest personnel were rushed, and during the thorough search of the area, the body of a poacher was found.
Further search and combing operations are ongoing to apprehend the accomplices who managed to escape from the spot.
The body of the poacher was yet to be identified.
Forest personnel recovered a .303 rifle and a handbag from the spot, the official added. PTI DG DG MNB
