A Maruti Gypsy jeep carrying a group of tourists in the Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal toppled after it was attacked by an angry rhinoceros on Saturday. The incident happened when the tourists on a wildlife safari in two jeeps were clicking photographs of rhinos.
I think it’s about time guidelines for safety and rescue in adventure sports are implemented in wildlife safaris across the country. Safaris are becoming more of adventure sports now!
Jaldapara today! pic.twitter.com/ISrfeyzqXt— Akash Deep Badhawan, IFS (@aakashbadhawan) February 25, 2023
A video posted by Indian Forest Service officer Akash Deep Badhawan shows the driver suddenly reversing the vehicle but in the hurry he panics and loses control of the vehicle which veers off the road and overturns in the undulating forest terrain.
The Telegraph reported a woman suffered a fracture but fortunately others got away with minor injuries.
“We are fortunate that the rhino didn’t attack us the second time when the car toppled. We were all in shock,” Mithun Biswas, the guide, told The Telegraph.
According to wildlife experts there is a need for proper guidelines to be issued to avoid such incidents and ensure safety. It appears the tourists were making too much of a noise and ventured too close to the rhinos which disturbed the beasts.
