The injured rhino at Kaziranga National Park on Saturday. Picture by UB Photos

Golaghat, Sept. 6: A full-grown female rhino got stuck in slush at Kaziranga National Park around 7 this morning, falling into a mud patch in Da-gaon area that falls under the Kohora range.

As the news of the incident spread, residents of the nearby areas gathered at the spot and tried all possible means to help the animal.

Rathin Burman, in-charge of the Panbari wildlife rescue centre, told The Telegraph that three doctors of the rescue centre are treating the trapped rhino, which is injured as well.

“The rhino is quite old and heavy and it must be suffering from posterior paralysis. A specialised team of doctors is also being called from Guwahati and is on its way. We have given it certain injections and saline to make it feel better,” Burman said.

An attempt to rescue the trapped rhino by using two elephants was made by the forest department but it was not successful, as the elephants were hesitant to go closer to the rhino.

Divisional forest officer (Kaziranga) S.K. Seal Sharma said a team of forest guards is already camping in the area to protect the rhino.

“We are very hopeful that the rhino will be rescued without any harm,” said Sharma

Kaziranga National Park has been hit by one of the worst floods till date this monsoon. Nearly 80 per cent of the sanctuary is inundated and only the natural and artificial highlands have been spared so far.

During the floods, the animals, particularly one-horned rhinos, tend to come outside the park.

A majority of the animals escaped to the nearby Karbi Anglong hills in search of safe shelter.

In Guwahati, forest minister Rakibul Hussain said efforts were on to rescue the rhino.

This year, 24 rhinos have fallen prey only to poaching at the World Heritage Site.