In yet another incident, a forest guard was injured after a one horned rhino attacked him in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) on Saturday.
Sources said the incident took place in the morning at Rangamotoria forest camp in Agoratoli range of the Park when forest guard Nipen Barman was on the way to his home from the forest camp.
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Injured forest guard Barman, who received serious injuries on chest and back, has been admitted to Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH) in a critical condition.
Barman was first rushed to a hospital in Bokakhat but was later shifted to JMCH for advance treatment.
There have been such incidents in the past as well. On August 28 this year, an eight-member patrolling party of forest guards at Agratoli Range was attacked by a rhino at around 7 pm.
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The adult rhino was killed when a forest guard inadvertently opened fire in self-defence to scare away the pachyderm.
Another forest guard was injured on May 1 this year when he was attacked by an adult rhino at Kathanibari forest camp area of the park.
As per 2015 figures, there are around 2,400 rhinos in the park. But every year, many fall prey to natural disasters like floods and poachers bullets.
Wildlife activists have said the authorities should release compensation to the injured guard.
“There is a very pressing need to have a proper compensation policy by the Government of Assam for field staff members who sacrifice their life while on duty,” said a wildlife activist. This is not the first time an incident like this has happened
Recently the Karnataka government has come out with such an order, where the staff’s family was given a compensation of Rs 30 lakh, if he/she died on duty.
They also provide compensation of Rs 10 lakh if there is a permanent disability and Rs 2 lakh if the injury is severe.
A similar initiative by the Assam government could encourage more forest staff to discharge their duty sincerely, he said.