Agra: Wildlife SOS's rapid response unit and the Uttar Pradesh forest department rescued a four-year-old female hyena, a protected species, which was brutally beaten up by a mob in an Agra village. The hyena is in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment at the NGO care centre. It suffered severe head trauma after it was repeatedly hit with bamboo sticks, which has resulted in the loss of its vision in both eyes.

The Wildlife SOS rescue team responded to a distress call from the forest department about the hyena being thrashed by a mob in Sarbathpur, Agra on Sunday evening.

The animal had apparently wandered into a field 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 the hyena. They started beating the animal with bamboo sticks and tied its legs to prevent it from escaping. The forest department received word about this incident from the local police and immediately contacted Wildlife SOS. A three-member rescue team along with a forest officials were deployed to the location. Upon arrival they found the animal in critical condition.

Agra divisional forest officer K K Singh 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 to assist Wildlife SOS in the rescue."

Senior veterinarian Dr. Illayaraja said, "The hyena was in an extremely critical state when it arrived at our centre. The animal has sustained multiple injuries and even lost its vision due to severe head trauma. We are presently treating her for external injuries and will perform an x-ray to check for any internal damage."

Unable to eat by itself, the hyena is currently placed on IV drip and is receiving the necessary medical treatment for its injuries.

Wildlife SOS co-founder KartickSatyanarayan said, "It is truly heart-breaking to see a animal suffer due to the rash and violent action of villagers. There is an immediate need to educate the public, so that they are more tolerant towards wild animals. This will help mitigate human-wildlife conflicts."

The striped hyena (Hyaenahyaena) is a species that is found in the Indian subcontinent and listed as 'Near Threatened' on the IUCN Red List. It is also protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.