Kaziranga: People in a village in the northeast Indian state of Assam severely injured a tiger when it was found straying in their area, an official of the rescue team said.

The animal was found trapped in a sanitation pit with cut marks on the body and broken toe nails when the team, comprising officials of the forest department and the Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) reached the site.

“Villagers of Lebangkula village pelted stones and bricks to chase away the animal.” Dr. Anjan Talukdar, the wildlife veterinarian of WTI who accompanied the team said.

After a medical check at the site on September 18, the animal was shifted next day to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga for extended treatment and care.

“This is a rare case of tiger straying in the area, since no tiger was sighted before, and has come as a surprise.” Dr. Talukdar said.

The village, which falls under the Joypur town in eastern Assam, is adjacent to the Dihing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary – a dense contiguous forest – extending upto the state of Arunachal Pradesh on the eastern boundary. Elephants, common leopard, wild buffalos and other smaller mammals are found in the region.

Kadambari Mainkar, Asst. Manager of the Wild Rescue Programme of WTI said, “The animal was probably displaced from its mother and was in a state of trauma.”

Following this incident, the MVS team rescued another Tiger injured in infighting at the Orang National Park – brought to the centre for rehabilitation. The animal was handed over to the Assam state zoo after treatment.

The Mobile Veterinary Service is a collaborative project of WTI and the Assam forest department with support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for treatment, rescue and release of wild animals.