AGRA: A four year old female hyena was rescued by the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit and the UP Forest Department, following a brutal attack by a mob of villagers in Agra. The hyena was in critical condition and is in currently undergoing treatment.
The Wildlife SOS rescue team responded to a distress call from the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department on their 24-hr Helpline number (9917190666) about a hyena that had been violently attacked by a mob of villagers in Sarbathpur, Agra.
The animal had wandered into a field presumably in search of food and water, when it was spotted by a group of villagers. Fearing for their lives they decided to take matters into their own hands and chased after the hyena. They started beating up the animal with bamboo sticks and tied up its legs to prevent it from escaping. The Forest Department received word about this violent incident from the local police and immediately contacted Wildlife SOS. A three member rescue team along with a few forest department officials were deployed to the location and upon arrival, found the animal in critical condition.
KK Singh, Divisional Forest Officer Agra said, "I received a call from the local police and immediately alerted the Wildlife SOS rescue team of the incident. We also dispatched our own team of forest officials to assist Wildlife SOS in the rescue operation."
Dr Illayaraja, Senior Veterinarian said, "The hyena was in an extremely critical state when it arrived at our centre. The animal has sustained multiple wounds and has lost its vision due to severe head trauma. We are presently treating her external injuries and will perform an x-ray to check for internal damage."
KartickSatyanarayan, Co-Founder of Wildlife SOS, said, "It is truly heart-breaking to see an innocent animal suffer such a brutal fate due to the rash and violent action of the villagers. There is an imminent need to educate the public to increase tolerance towards wild animals in an attempt to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. The Striped hyena (Hyaenahyaena) is species of Hyaena that is found in the Indian subcontinent and listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red list. It is also protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972."
The hyena suffered severe head trauma after receiving repeated blows to the head, which has resulted in loss of vision in both eyes. Unable to eat by itself, the hyena is currently placed on an IV drip and is receiving the necessary medical treatment for its injuries.
