Animal tragedy as rare one-horned rhino killed by poachers in Nepal
A ONE-HORNED rhino has been slaughtered by poachers in Nepal.
The injured male rhino was shot in a forest in southern Nepal in August
The tragic killing marks the first of the rare animals to be killed in the country in over two years.
The injured male was shot in a forest in southern Nepal in August.
It was taken to Chitwan National Park, the country's biggest rhino conservation area, but died of its injuries this week.
This marks the first time a rhino has been killed by poachers in Nepal since May 2014.
Rhino poaching carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail
Assistant conservationist Nurendra Aryal said: "The critically injured rhino had started to recover, but died Tuesday."
The number of one-horned rhinos roaming Nepal has dramatically decreased over the past century at the hands of poaching and humans destroying their habitat.
Their horns are sold for supposed medicinal purposes in China and parts of southeast Asia.
Rhino poaching carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail.