Guwahati, Dec 17: An elderly man was critically injured when a rhino, which had strayed from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, attacked him at Jhargaon Kholoni Beel in Assam’s Morigaon district on Monday morning.
The victim, identified as Krishna Das (55), son of Late Mahim Das from Jhargaon village under Jagiroad police station, was attacked around 6 a.m., about 4 km from the wildlife sanctuary.
The rhino, which had been spotted in nearby paddy fields for several days, attacked Das while he was heading toward his field. A fellow villager rescued him from the site and alerted forest officials.
A team of forest personnel, led by Forest Range Officer Pranjal Baruah, promptly arrived at the scene and transported the injured man to the Jhargaon Primary Health Centre (PHC). Later, he was referred to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for advanced treatment.
“The man sustained severe injuries to his right leg, which necessitated his transfer to GMCH for better care,” said Range Officer Pranjal Baruah.
Meanwhile, another forest team, in collaboration with local residents, has been patrolling the area to locate the rhino and ensure its safe return to the sanctuary. Efforts are underway to mitigate further human-wildlife conflict in the region.
Earlier on September 30, a biker was killed after being attacked by a rhino at Haduk Bridge near the wildlife sanctuary.
