Assam's chief minister vows "would not allow any" after a truck struck a rhino in Kaziranga

The rhinoceros hit by a truck in Kaziranga on Saturday has survived, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. According to Sarma, the government is working on a "special 32-km elevated corridor" after the truck was stopped and fined.

The Assam CM stated in a tweet that "Rhinos are our special pals; we'll not allow any trespass on their space."

"The Rhino survived this tragic occurrence at Haldibari; the car was stopped and fined. In the meantime, we're working on a unique 32-km elevated corridor as part of our commitment to saving wildlife at Kaziranga," he continued, posting a video of the incident.

In the video, the vehicle tries to avoid hitting the rhino by suddenly changing lanes, but is unsuccessful in doing so. After being struck by the truck, the rhino attempts to get off the road by standing up, but it falls again. The rhino leaves the road on its second attempt while clearly injured.

The event happened in Haldibari Animal Corridor while the vehicle was travelling from Jorhat to Guwahati, according to local media sources. The transport and forest departments reportedly found the vehicle in the Bagari neighbourhood in Nagaon district and significantly penalised it.

Last month, Jagadish Vasudev, often known as Sadhguru, and Sarma came under fire for reportedly going on a late-night vehicle safari inside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). The scheduling of the safari, according to environmentalists, violated the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and put park animals at risk.

According to the most recent census, which was published in March, the number of one-horned rhinos in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) has climbed by 200 during the past four years.