The Rhinoceros is not a commonly found animal in India. In India, the state of Assam serves as the home for these giants. One-horned rhinos are mostly found in Kaziranga National Park, and we have witnessed how tourists flock to these places to witness them in the flesh. Specially trained drivers with vehicles in this area take tourists on a safari inside the national park. However, these visits do not always go as planned. There have been instances where wild animals have chased tourists away from the jungle. Here, we have a video from Assam’s Manas National Park showing a rhino chasing a safari vehicle.
The video has been shared by AR Kujur on his YouTube channel. The exact date of this incident is unknown. In this video, we can see a couple of Maruti Gypsy SUVs being driven rapidly along a track created for safaris. There were tourists inside the vehicles. This was recorded from a vehicle that was moving in reverse on another track. Right after the safari cars moved away, a rhino can be seen running after them.
The SUV’s driver did not move the vehicle and instead waited for the animal to move away. The rhino was specifically targeting the two SUVs that had gone in the other direction. Once the animal had crossed, the SUV from which the video was being recorded started moving forward. The next clip in this sequence shows a rhino chasing a safari vehicle. It is unclear if this is the same vehicle from which the first clip was recorded or if it’s a different one.
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The rhino was actually running after the vehicles and managed to keep up with the speed of the SUVs. Tourists can be observed neither screaming nor crying in this video. There were instances where the rhino came very close to the vehicle. The track was quite narrow, and it seems the animal did not have an opportunity to overtake the vehicle to block its path. The rhino pursued the vehicle for quite a distance and didn’t give up. This isn’t the first time something like this has occurred. These national parks serve as habitats for rhinos and many other animals. The continuous influx of tourists often becomes an issue as it creates unease among the wild animals.
In many cases, tourists visiting such places do not know how to behave. Loud noises and brightly colored clothing often frighten these animals. Sometimes, the animals run away, while in other instances, they chase the visitors away. Wild animals like elephants venturing onto roads in search of food and causing damage to vehicles and farmlands have become increasingly common in the Western Ghats. Similar behavior is observed in rhinos as well. There are videos showing rhinos running on the streets in Nepal and Assam. If you ever find yourself in such a situation in the wild, avoid panicking and screaming, as this could further provoke the animal. Safari vehicle drivers are trained to handle such situations, and in most cases, they can manage them. If you encounter such an animal on the road, never exit the vehicle. Simply stop the car on the roadside and wait for the animal to move away or cross the road.
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