Guwahati, 16th October: Tragedy struck at the Manas National Park when a forest guard lost his life in a wild buffalo attack. The unfortunate incident took place in the vicinity of the Bhuyapara forest range in the Bodoland Territorial Area (BTR).
On the day of the incident, a group of forest guards was returning home after diligently patrolling the area. Their routine duties took them through this protected wildlife area. However, they encountered a perilous situation when they confronted a group of wild buffaloes along the banks of a river.
Describing the terrifying encounter, one of the forest guards present at the scene recounted the events. They initially fired warning shots to deter the advancing buffaloes. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, one of the guards, identified as Robin Basumatary, was fatally attacked. His sacrifice was not in vain as they managed to fend off the buffaloes, preventing further harm to the group.
While Robin Basumatary tragically lost his life in the attack, two other forest guards, Hitesh Medhi and Krishna Boro, sustained injuries. Both injured guards are currently receiving medical care at the Salbari Model Hospital.
The deceased, Robin Basumatary, was stationed at the Makhibaha camp in Bhuyapara and was on casual patrol duty when the incident occurred near the Makhibaha River.
This unfortunate event serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by forest guards in their unwavering commitment to protect and preserve our wildlife heritage. It is also a call to further improve safety measures for those working in these environments to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.