Four suspected rhino poachers held near Teok in Jorhat; one hurt by rhino

Forest officials in Assam's Jorhat district have arrested four men suspected of planning to poach one-horned rhinoceros in the Hatishal area of Teok, with one of the suspects reportedly injured after a rhino attacked him.

The arrests were made on Monday, November 9, during a special operation by the Jorhat Forest Division, Hub News reported.

Tip-off led to search

Acting on specific intelligence about suspected poachers moving in the area, forest staff launched a search in the dense Barluit forests and caught the four men. A forest official said their interrogation had begun.

The suspects are reportedly from different parts of Assam: one from Gohpur, one from Narayanpur and two from Jajimukh. Their names have not been officially released.

Police from Teok and Lahdoigarh police stations also reached the spot, and further operations were under way in the surrounding forests, the report said. It was not clear whether any weapons were recovered.

Rhinos outside protected areas

Hatishal and its neighbouring forests sit well outside Assam's main rhino strongholds such as Kaziranga, Orang and Pobitora, but several one-horned rhinos have been seen moving through the area in recent years. Animals that stray out of protected parks into such patches are harder to guard and are often targeted by poaching gangs.

Assam has sharply reduced rhino poaching over the past few years through intelligence-led operations, special task forces and tighter coordination between forest and police departments. The state is home to the bulk of the world's greater one-horned rhinoceros population.

What comes next

The four suspects are expected to be produced in court after questioning under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Forest officials are trying to establish whether the men were part of a larger network and who may have sent them to the area.

The injured suspect's condition was not immediately known.

NEInsider will update this story when the Forest Department shares more details.