Hyena rescued from village mob; critically injured

A four year old female 'striped hyena', wandering in the fields for food and water and beaten by a mob in an Agra village, was on Monday rescued by the wildlife conservation organisation - Wildlife SOS and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.

The near-threatened specie sustained multiple wounds and lost its vision due to severe head trauma and is currently undergoing treatment.

"We are presently treating her external injuries and will perform an x-ray to check for internal damage," said Dr. Illayaraja, senior veterinarian.

The animal was attacked by an ignorant mob of villagers in Sarbathpur, Agra.

"Fearing for their lives the villagers chased the hyena, beat it with bamboo sticks and tied up its legs. The forest department received word about this violent incident from the local police and immediately contacted Wildlife SOS," said a Wildlife SOS spokesperson.

A three-member rescue team along with a few forest department officials rushed to the spot and rescued the animal.

"It is truly heartbreaking 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," said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS.

--IANS

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