A forest guard was seriously injured after being attacked by a wild elephant during a rescue operation in Boko on the night of July 5, forcing officials to suspend the mission due to safety concerns.
The injured forest personnel has been identified as Jayanta Kalita, who is attached to the Singra Forest Division office in Boko and hails from Ramdia in Hajo, Kamrup district.
According to forest officials, the rescue operation was launched after the department received information about a stranded elephant calf in the area. Local residents had alerted authorities after hearing distress calls from a herd of wild elephants, prompting the forest team to begin a search using torches.
During the operation, a wild elephant suddenly charged at the team and attacked Kalita, leaving him with serious injuries to his chest, thigh and leg.
Kalita was initially taken to the Boko Primary Health Centre, where he received first aid before being referred to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for advanced medical treatment.
Following the attack, forest officials suspended the rescue operation for the night, citing the continued presence of wild elephants in the area and concerns over the safety of personnel.
The incident highlights the dangers faced by frontline forest staff while carrying out wildlife rescue operations, particularly amid increasing human-elephant interactions in the region.
