Three days before poachers had killed an adult rhino and chopped off its horn in the same forest range of the national park.

Guwahati: Three days after an adult rhino was killed, the poachers struck once again and shot dead a female rhino and her calf at Kaziranga National Park and got away with their horns.

The park authorities on Sunday said that the rhino and her calf were gunned down near Tunekati Forest Camp under Burapahar Range of the Park on Saturday night. Three days before poachers had killed an adult rhino and chopped off its horn in the same forest range of the national park.

Informing that forest guard rushed to the area soon after hearing the gun shots at about 11.30 pm, the park authorities said that in the wee hours of Sunday, they could find bullet-ridden carcass of two rhinos. The poachers who managed to escape unchallenged had chopped off the horns of both the animals.

Indicating that the same gang of poachers, which killed a rhino on Thursday night, may be involved the killings, the park authorities said that they have also recovered empty cartridges of AK series assault rifle from the spot.

With two more deaths, the toll of rhinos killed in Kaziranga this year rose to five. Poachers had slaughtered two rhinos earlier this year.

While one was killed at Hatibali Chapori range of Kaziranga in February this year, the other was killed at Burapahar Range of the park in April, the park authorities said. It is significant that in 2016 poachers had killed at least 18 rhinos in Kaziranga.

Meanwhile, park authorities have intensified the manhunt to nab the poachers and police team has been formed to track down the poachers who are suspected to have been moving in the area.