Rhino battles for life after poacher attack in Kaziranga

A rhino is struggling for life after poachers shot at the animal and chopped off its horn in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, forest officials said on Sunday. Forest guards launched a hunt for the attackers after hearing gunshots in the forest Saturday afternoon. However, the profusely bleeding rhino was found only on Sunday morning. A team of veterinarians was treating the rhino but its chances of survival were bleak, said a park official. ‘The animal is unlikely to survive since it has lost a vital organ and has bled severely. It also received two bullet injuries,’ said forest conservator S. Bora. ‘Some people heard gunshots from the Agaratoli range of the park and we launched a combing operation immediately,’ Bora said. A .303 rifle was also found in the area.