Rhino gets hit by truck in Kaziranga, Assam CM tweets: ‘will not allow any infringement….’

• Image Credit: Internet

• Oct 9, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

The Assam CM stated in a tweet that "Rhinos are our special pals; we'll not allow any trespass on their space."

Digital Desk: On Sunday, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the
Chief Minister of Assam, announced that the rhinoceros hit by a truck in
Kaziranga had survived.

According to Sarma, the government is working on a "special 32-km
elevated corridor" after the truck was stopped and fined.

The Assam CM stated in a tweet that "Rhinos are our special pals;
we'll not allow any trespass on their space."

"The Rhino survived
this tragic incident at Haldibari; the car was stopped and fined. In the
meantime, we're working on a unique 32-km elevated corridor as part of our
commitment to saving wildlife at Kaziranga," he continued, posting a video
of the incident.

In
the video, the vehicle tries to avoid hitting the rhino by suddenly changing
lanes, but is unsuccessful in doing so. After being struck by the truck, the
rhino attempts to get off the road by standing up, but it falls again. The
rhino leaves the road on its second attempt while clearly injured.

As
per reports, the truck was enroute to Guwahati from Jorhat and the incident
occurred in Haldibari Animal Corridor. The vehicle was reportedly intercepted
in the Bagari area of Nagaon district and was heavily fined by the transport and
forest department.

Last
month, Sarma and spiritual leader Jagadish Vasudev, popularly known as
Sadhguru, drew flak for allegedly undertaking a jeep safari inside the
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) after sunset.

The scheduling of the safari, according to environmentalists,
violated the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and put park animals at risk.

According to the most recent census, which was published in
March of this year, the number of one-horned rhinos in Assam's Kaziranga
National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) has climbed by 200 during the past four
years. The greatest population of one-horned rhinos is found in KNPTR, where
there are 2613 of them.