Guwahati: An elderly man, Naren Saikia, who fatally attacked a female rhino with a sharp weapon when the animal had strayed outside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, was arrested by a joint team of police and forest personnel on Thursday.
He was produced before the court, which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.
On November 24 around 8.30 pm, Naren Saikia (47), a resident of Lokhorakhonia threw a spear at the rhino that had ventured into the area.
After the intelligence gathered by DFO of Eastern Assam Wildlife Division Arun Vignesh and team, Naren Saikia was arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Drone combing combined with elephant patrolling surveillance was undertaken by the forest department staff led by forest ranger Dr Bibhuti Ranjan Gogoi and the carcass was detected on November 30 at 2.30 pm near Teteliguri Anti Poaching Camp (Ekorani Area) inside the National Park.
The post-mortem was conducted in the presence of committee members comprising of veterinarians, and civil society members.
The female rhino is estimated to be aged 20-30 years and the cause of death has been ascribed to the injury on the left flank back rear portion of the stomach with deep penetration of the weapon (spear) across skin and ribs.
Further samples have been collected for DNA analysis and the RhoDIS system and shall be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
The horn was intact and recovered as per standard procedure by departmental staff for safe custody.