Balasore: A wildlife security guard suffered serious injuries on Saturday after poachers opened fire at him while he was patrolling the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.

The guard, identified as Chandan Baug, 42, was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack from Nilgiri sub-divisional hospital where he had earlier been admitted with injuries in his chest and left arm.

Baug, a resident of Sajnagarh village, was deployed as sabuja bahani (green force) volunteer with the forest department.

He had gone into the sanctuary, along with other forest staff members. Acting on a tip-off that a group of armed poachers had entered the sanctuary in search of prey, the security personnel intensified their search.