An escaped rhinoceros in India acted on its instincts and charged at a motorcyclist, leading to a tragic death during a frightening rampage.
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Per TMZ, Saddam Hussain came to a halt when he spotted the massive, two-ton horned beast blocking his path. As the colossal rhinoceros charged toward him, he ditched his motorbike and sprinted down the embankment.
Local residents shouted and pursued the rhino, but tragically, Saddam was trampled by the animal. The rhino was spotted fleeing while the 37-year-old lay in a nearby field.
Forest Range Officer Nayan Jyoti Das later confirmed that Hussain died from his injuries.
Biker Dies After Being Chased by Rhino in Assam pic.twitter.com/sBotClCMSM
— Word Of India (@wordofindia) October 1, 2024
Saddam was riding his motorcycle from Mayong to Chamata in the eastern Assam region of India. He resided in the Sonapur Kachutali area of Kamrup.
Meanwhile, the rhino escaped from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and attacked Hussain near Haduk Bridge. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident.
The Species of Rhino Responsible For the Motorcyclist’s Death is in Decline
The one-horned rhinoceros, commonly known as the “Indian rhino,” is the largest of all rhino species. Once prevalent across the Indian subcontinent, its population has dramatically declined due to poaching and being perceived as agricultural pests, leading to its tragic decline.
“The recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among the greatest conservation success stories in Asia,” conservationist group WWF wrote on their website. “Thanks to strict protection and management from Indian and Nepalese wildlife authorities, the greater one-horned rhino was brought back from the brink. Today populations have increased to around 4000 rhinos in northeastern India and the Terai grasslands of Nepal.”
Of course, onlookers on social media responded with shock and horror to the footage of a motorcyclist getting mauled by a rhino.
“Never should have got off the bike. Had a better chance on it,” one denizen of X (formerly Twitter) speculated. “That’s like being mowed down by a truck. That person never had a chance,” another onlooker added.
“ANIMALS ACT NICE UNTIL YOU GET TOO CLOSE,” yet another wordsmith exclaimed.
“…he got off the bike, to run??????! Sir,” one armchair expert decried.