Rhino kills forest guard in Kaziranga National Park

JORHAT: A forest guard was killed by a rhino in Kaziranga National Park on Wednesday. Park authorities said that with this, a total of five forest staff were killed by animals in the park this year.

Ting Sinhar (30), a resident of Karbi Anglong district, sustained severe injuries on his head and chest when he was attacked near Panijuri anti-poaching camp in the Burapahar forest range on Wednesday morning.

He was patrolling on foot with three other forest staff when an adult male rhino suddenly attacked him from back.

"We rushed him to Jakhalabandha hospital for treatment. After primary treatment, doctors referred him to Nagaon civil hospital. Accordingly, we shifted him to Nagaon but he succumbed to his injuries at the civil hospital," said divisional forest officer (Kaziranga) S K Seal Sharma. He said the deceased forest guard had worked in the national park for eight years.

Sharma said, "The incident was very unfortunate because the team of the forest guards had three rifles in their hands. But the attack was so sudden that they could not even open fire to save themselves."

Earlier, four forest guards were killed in three separate incidents. Two of them were killed in attacks by wild buffalos, one by rhino and another by a tiger.