In childhood I have heard many stories of close
encounter and near escape from a fight with sloth bear. As I grew up have seen many such encounters
with Lions, Elephants etc. on Discovery and National Geographic Channel. After I started to wander in wild, I have heard many such stories. Today, I will be narrating one such encounter of mine with one of the surviving mammoth on earth, The Rhinoceros.
Novermber 2012; to check the progress of preparation for wildlife
day celebration, I went to Falakata from Madarihat. After progress was checked Instead
of direct road to Madarihat, I chose the jungle road. I decided to drive the
vehicle. On the way back two of my range officers Buddhadeb and Ranjan Talukdar
were narrating me the story of Rhino attacking the vehicle of Assistant
Wildlife Warden long back. Listening to stories, I drove into tall dense
grassland of Moyurdanga. Moyurdanga as name says, derived its name from mayur
(peacock). Fertile alluvial soil of Torsa has made the grasses here taller
than trees of arid zone. Rhino density is good in this habitat of Moyurdanga,
because of the perennial Buri (old) Torsa River. Rhino has attacked and killed
many people in this patch. Dense and tall saccharaum grasses are perfect
situation for close encounter with four ton mammoth. Oblivion of these facts, I
took a slow turn. A mother with calf in the below picture was grazing on the
road. On seeing the rhino I stopped the vehicle. Within seconds, the mother came
rushing towards the vehicle. Stopped meters away, sniffed “dare not to come
near my baby”; the mother returned and vanished with calf in to the grassy
glade. My range officers laughed and said rhinos of Jaldapara like Assistant
Wildlife Wardens vehicle. After a deep breath started my vehicle and dropped my
range officers to their houses in Jaldapara.
Took game road from Jaldapara to Madarihat. After
crossing the Jaldapara tower a herd of Gaur was confronted. Owing to the
absence of Tiger the Gaur number is increasing at rapid rate in Jaldapara. Sighting
of large herd of Gaurs are very common in Jaldapara. Within few hundred meters
after crossing Gaurs, a small rhino was seen on the road. I immediately stopped
and took my camera to capture the rhino. Upon seeing our vehicle it went inside
the sachharum glade. Samaresh, my driver said it is a sub-adult. My sixth sense
said it’s a calf and mother must be around it. Holding camera in right hand
slowly steered the vehicle ahead. I might have moved ten meter, behind the
Sachharum grasses the mother rhino was grazing and the calf, which had already seen
us was nervous. Holding camera on the door I was aiming for a shoot. The mother
rushed immediately charging towards my vehicle. “Sir, return leejiye” samaresh
said hurriedly. Even before I realizing the situation, the four ton mammoth came running near the front right wheel. It was just a meter away from me. I could see its
teeth, nose and horn clearly. With its nose and horn, twice it gave two strong powerful
hit to my vehicle. Twice, vehicle went up and came down. Rhino retreated after
two powerful pushes. For a moment my heart beat had stopped. With little more
powerful hit the vehicle would have toppled easily. To my fortune we were safe.
The mud guard had come out and there was a small dent to the metallic body. Rhino
nose had bruised the outside edge of the vehicle. The vehicle would have toppled,
if rhino would have been able to put its entire nose and horn below the
vehicle. I was holding camera just a meter away from the rhino. Even before pressing
the camera button, the rhino was out of scene.
After taking deep breaths for two minutes I drove
back to home. The day was exceptional as rhino attacked us twice within a gap
of half an hour. Rhinos readily attack when they feel threatened. As I collected
information later on, the mothers, which attacked my vehicle were under stress
from the breeding males. The breeding males try to kill the calf, so that they
can mate with mother. Mothers will be protective of their calf until calf will
be weaned i.e till 4 to 5 years. After this incidence my admiration for the Rhinos has doubled.
Below is the pictures which I took on my way. The picture of Rhino, which attacked vehicle is missing as I could not press the button during that awesome incidence. But, it is still afresh in my memory.
In Moyurdanga when rhino mother gave mock charge.
Mother rhino before disappearing into the grasses.
Calm and beautiful River Buri (old) Torsa.
Mayur (Pea cock) on the way.
Herd of Gaurs minutes before the vehicle was attacked Rhino.
Herd of Gaurs minutes before the vehicle was attacked Rhino.
Dent in the vehicle and a small crack.
