jorhatguwahati kaziranga national park has lost four rhinos within the span of a week the death toll due to poaching has reached 14 this year alone in june two rhinos were killed by poachers when the animals strayed outside of the park during the first wave of floods poachers are always on the prowl for rhinos during floods when the animals move out of the park in search of elevated ground they became easy target for poachers despite stepping up vigilance poachers have managed to kill the rhinos a park official said he added that a close watch is being maintained on five rhinos still sheltered in the forested areas of karbi anglong hills this time kaziranga experienced the worst floods in the past eight years a total of 22 animals have died in kazrianga in the ongoing second wave of floods nearly 700 animals including 19 rhinos perished in the first wave of the deluge in june this year the floods have also disturbed the antipoaching mechanism making patrolling difficult almost 80 per cent of the 430 sq km park is still under water about 114 of 152 antipoaching camps have been submerged and 14 camps had to be shifted to different locations following the rise in the water level in the park the spurt in rhino deaths has triggered a volley of protests from different organisations the all assam students union aasu and the asom jatiyatabadi yuva chatra parishad ajycp took to the streets at kaziranga on wednesday shouting slogans against chief minister tarun gogoi and forest minister rockybul hussain for their failure in curbing poaching aasu demanded a cbi inquiry into frequent cases of rhino poaching while the ajycp blocked nh37 which passes through the southern boundary of the park for a while soumyadeep dutta of natures beckon a conservation ngo said that the rise in rhino poaching showed poor monitoring on the animals once they leave the park during floods had there been a proper monitoring exercise and strengthening of security in peripheral areas of the park such deaths could have been avoided dutta said