27-Nov-09 11:00 AM CST

Bid to Drive Rhino Back to Forest Fails

JALPAIGURI: All efforts of the forest department have failed to drive back an adult male rhino that had strayed out of Gorumara National Park on November 11. The pachyderm has now taken shelter in the Mantadari area of Baikunthapur forest.

The rhino has already travelled around 20 km to enter Baikunthapur forest through Kathambari situated west to Gorumara. Although the department has engaged five kunki (trained) elephants to drive it back towards the national park and have located the rhino, it is not budging from its current location.

As there are some human settlements scattered in the area, the forest department says it can't take any risk and force the animal back. If the rhino becomes violent, it might cause damage to life and property, say forest officials.

The rhino shows no sign of injury and so, officials are confident that it has not strayed out because of infighting. "It seems that the rhino has lost its way. We can guide it back to Gorumara with the kunkis, but then if it raids a village on its way, the damage would be extensive," said Tapas Das, DFO, WL II, Jalpaiguri division.

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