Orang ranger Salim Ahmed in Guwahati on Friday. Telegraph picture

Jorhat/Guwahati, Jan. 14: A ranger at Orang National Park, Salim Ahmed, was injured when he was attacked by a rhino at Islampur, about 7km from the park, at 2pm today.

The rhino had strayed out of the park two days back and crossed the Brahmaputra to areas in Nagaon and Morigaon districts — traversing around 100km — where it was constantly monitored by forest department personnel.

The female rhino was returning to the park when it was spotted at Islampur in Darrang district this morning.

“The incident occurred because a huge crowd gathered at Islampur to see the rhino. I was pushed by someone in the crowd and fell right in front of the rhino. First the animal tossed me to a distance of about 10 to 12 feet. Then it rushed towards me to attack. Even though there was a hue and cry I was not nervous and kicked the rhino in the face thrice to prevent the animal from biting my face. When the rhino could not reach my face it bit my right leg. The animal finally gave up and moved away when I fired two rounds from my revolver in the air,” Ahmed, who is undergoing treatment at a nursing home in Guwahati, told The Telegraph.

Shahjahan Ali, an employee of the forest department who was at the spot at the time of the incident, said usually rhinos attack human beings in the face first.

Dr Partha Phukan, who is treating Ahmed, said the forest official sustained injuries on his chest, leg, hands, shoulder and head. Ahmed’s left hand may have been fractured.

“Various medical investigations are on. We have advised him to get X-ray and CT scan done immediately to ascertain the severity of his injuries. Otherwise he is normal and responding well to the medication,” Phukan said.

Asked whether any special treatment was required for rhino bite, the doctor said everything would depend on the results of the medical investigations.

Orang divisional forest officer, S.K. Daila, said the rhino finally returned to the park late this evening.

Daila said police and CRPF personnel were deputed in the area from early this morning to control the crowd which had gathered at Islampur.

“Ahmed, along with a team of foresters, had gone to the area to try bring back the rhino. There was no possibility of tranquillising it since the area is marshy. Tranquillising the rhino would have been too risky as it could drown after falling. Our men tried their best to keep the crowd away and guide the rhino back to the forest,” Daila said.

The smallest national park in the state has been in the news in recent times with tigers and rhinos straying out frequently and coming into conflict with villagers residing nearby.

A Royal Bengal tiger, which strayed out of Orang about a couple of months back, was killed by security personnel as it attacked and killed a person and injured two others in Morigaon district.

Daila said there has been an increase in the rhino and tiger population in the park in recent times and it was quite natural for them to stray occasionally.