Young Navy Sailor from Karnataka Killed in Nilgai Attack in Gujarat

An Indian Navy sailor posted in Jamnagar lost his life after he was attacked by a Nilgai while he was trying to save the antelope's calves. The last rites of the 22-year-old Harshit Prasanna were held in Rudhrabhumi in Karnataka's Kolar on Thursday.

Kolar (Karnataka): In a tragic turn of events, a 22-year-old Indian Navy sailor died after being attacked by a Nilgai [Asia's largest antelope] while he was trying to save its calves from eating plastic in Gujarat's Jamnagar on Wednesday. The deceased identified as Harshit Prasanna, a resident of Kolar was posted in Gujarat's Jamnagar when the incident took place.

Sources said that Prasanna was trying to help the calves of a Nilgai who were eating plastic. He decided to catch the calves and take them to a safer place. During this time, a huge Nilgai attacked Prasanna from behind and he died within 10 minutes of the attack. Prasanna was selected in the Indian Navy in 2019 and was serving as a sailor for the last four years.

Prasanna's last rites were performed with full state honours at his residence in Rudhrabhumi in Kolar on Thursday. Last year, a man died and five others were injured after a Nilgai rammed into an auto-rickshaw in Gujarat's Vadodara. The accident took place near Sursamal village when the auto-rickshaw plunged into a ditch after it was hit by a Nilgai.

The locals had then demanded that the Forest Department and the local administration take necessary steps to curb such incidents in the future.

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