Bokakhat: A suspected poacher was shot dead in an exchange of fire with forest guards inside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam during the early hours of Wednesday, officials confirmed.
According to forest authorities, the encounter occurred around 2:50 am near Maite Tapu under the Burapahar Range after a tip-off about the movement of armed poachers in the area. “All anti-poaching camps were placed on high alert, and search operations were launched to block escape routes,” an official said.
The gunfight broke out when a river patrol team noticed a light source and detected movement in the darkness. “The poachers opened fire when asked to stop, prompting the guards to retaliate in self-defence,” the official added.
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Following the exchange, forest personnel recovered the body of one poacher, while others managed to flee under cover of darkness. A .303 rifle and a handbag were seized from the site. The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained.
Forest teams have launched search and combing operations to track down the absconding accomplices.
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This marks the second poacher encounter in Kaziranga this year. Earlier, on May 28, a suspected poacher was killed during a joint operation by forest guards and Assam Police in the Agoratoli Range, following intelligence reports of a planned attack on the Balidubi camp.
