Poachers chopped off its horn and managed to flee with it.

The incident took place near the Tunikati forest camp under Burhapahar range office inside the park.

Forest guards found  the de-horned body of a male rhino with bullet injuries on it on Thursday morning.

Forest guards also recovered empty cartridges of AK series rifle from the area.

It is estimated that Assam's Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site, has lost at least 21 rhinos due to poaching so far in 2016.

Meanwhile, Assam's forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma has ordered  the forest officials and KNP officials to take stern action against poachers and take appropriate measures to protect the wild animals.

"It is another unfortunate incident. I already ordered the department officials to take appropriate measures to protect wild animals in  the state," the minister said.

More  than 300 rhinos were poached in Assam in a decade.

(Reporting by Hemanta  Kumar Nath)