UP wildlife clash: Battle of rhinos in Dudhwa; 1 injured

PILIBHIT: An 18-year-old male rhinoceros at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) suffered deep injuries to his head, forefoot and neck after a fight with another adult male inside the RR1 (rhino rehabilitation) enclosure. A two-member team of the reserve's veterinary officers provided intensive medical care to the injured rhino on Sunday, after which the animal was released back into the enclosure.Field director H Rajamohan told TOI that forest staff are keeping a constant watch on the animal's health and movement to prevent further aggression from other rhinos. DTR currently has a population of 50 rhinos. Of these, three females and one male were free-ranged in two phases between Nov last year and Mar this year, while the remaining 46 remain within the RR1 and RR2 enclosures spread over 40.4 sq km.The injured male belongs to RR1, which houses 41 rhinos. The clash is believed to have been triggered by mating-related aggression. Around two months ago, another adult male was killed in a similar fight, Rajamohan said.The injured rhino was first spotted by field monitoring staff on Sunday morning but it kept moving, making the assessment difficult. The animal was eventually darted by veterinary officer Dr Mohammad Talha and taken out of the enclosure for treatment, assisted by another reserve veterinarian, Dr Dayashankar.