According to Megh Bahadur Pandey, director general of DNPWC, the dead rhino was spotted near Dhumariya Bhawanipur post in CNP with its horn missing on February 16. [break]
Likewise, a CNP source said the sound of gunfire was heard in CNP on February 11. The CNP officials said they found the rhino lying without its horn when they went in the direction from where the gunshots had come.
However, CNP administration is yet confirm whether it is a case of poaching.
Fadindra Kharel, chief conservation officer at CNP, said, “The rhino was found dead but we cannot say whether the endangered animal was killed by poachers.”
CNP will confirm if the rhino was killed only after verifying the facts, added Kharel.
Earlier, a one-horned rhino was found dead with its horn missing in CNP on April 2, 2012, just three months after the government declared 2011 as Zero Poaching Year. In the year 2011, not a single rhino was killed by poachers. DNPWD had even celebrated the Zero Poaching Year by organizing different programs on January 8, 2012.
According to conservationists, the number of security posts in the CNP has been increased lately. Despite this, the rhino was killed in the CNP by poachers. This shows a weak security arrangement in CNP.
They also said that poachers might have taken advantage of the frequent change of the chiefs in CNP. Within a month, three persons have been appointed as the chief of CNP.
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