Two rhinos enter Assam residential area; one tranquilised & rescued; other still at large

Two rhinos were spotted on Saturday, April 3, in the residential areas of Darrang district's Dalgaon town in Assam. One of them was tranquillized by Forest Department officials with the aid of locals and taken to the Guwahati Zoo after much commotion. The other rhino remained in the village pond and has yet to be apprehended, with photos of the runaway rhino going viral on social media.

Two rhinos found in Assam

The rhinos found in rhino-hotspot Assam lake are the black rhinoceros or hook-lipped rhinoceros who are native to eastern and southern Africa. Their species is known as Diceros bicornis. The species is listed as critically endangered in its entirety. The western black rhinoceros, which was declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2011, is one of three subspecies that have been declared extinct.

Forest Department officials rescue rhinos

Last month, in a similar incident, a leopard had entered a residential area in Indore's Limbodi area. Four people were injured by the leopard, two of whom were children. A team of forest officials tranquillized and arrested him after he was rescued in the operation. From a nearby park, Ralamandal wildlife sanctuary, the leopard ventured into Shivdham Colony in the New Ranibagh area on Khandwa Road in Indore.

The wild cat that had gotten away from the sanctuary had been discovered the day before in the Shivdham colony, but soon disappeared. The animal then crept into a nearby farmhouse and took refuge among the crops. Forest officers patrolled the area at night, using loudspeakers to remind people to stay inside. On the next day, the search was resumed.

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: ANI