Kaziranga: An adult female rhino was successfully rescued from a marshy pit, after being trapped in it for nearly 24 hours, by a team of forest officials and Wildlife Trust of India.

The rhino was trapped in a silt laden pit in the Bagori range of Kaziranga National Park in the north-east Indian Assam state, where over 80 per cent of the global population of the endangered Greater One Horned Rhino (Rhinocerous unicornis) is found.

The rhino had dug herself further into the pit while attempting to free itself from the pit. The trapped rhino was spotted by the forest guards of Dhukhati anti-poaching camp on 29th September.

Rhinos are creatures of habit and known to follow a defined trail in their daily lives. These trails sometimes have natural depressions which fill up with silt during the annual floods in the Brahmaputra basin and become a threat for weaker and older animals.

Dr Anjan Talukdar, veterinarian, Centre for Wildlife rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) who was also in the rescued team, said,

“This pit seemed to be on an unused trail and was filled with silt carried by river Diffalo”.

Pix: Dr.Anjan Talukdar/WTI