GUWAHATI: A biker in Assam died after he was attacked by a rhinoceros that strayed out of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. The incident occurred at Haduk Bridge near the sanctuary on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Saddam Hussain (37) and resident of Sonapur Kachutali in the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, was on his way from Mayong to Chamata when the incident occurred. Forest officials confirmed that the man was attacked by the rhino. They said they were probing the incident.
In a video circulating on social media, the victim can be seen quickly getting off his bike and running towards an open field even as the rhino was chasing him. Some onlookers tried to scare the animal away by shouting but in vain. The body was later recovered from the field. The victim’s head was found smashed.
After the incident, the locals vented their ire by staging a protest outside the office of a forest officer, demanding the suspension of all forest personnel, who were on duty in the area at that time. They alleged that no forest officer visited the site for five hours after the incident.
Called “Mini Kaziranga,” the 38.85 sq km Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has 107 rhinos, according to a census conducted in 2022. It is located on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra in Morigaon district.