Indian Army Soldier Akash Chauhan Killed in Bison Attack During Pachmarhi Training
A 26-year-old Indian Army soldier was killed on Thursday evening after a bison attacked him from behind while he was playing football at the Army Education Centre in Pachmarhi, a hill station in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district. The centre’s sports ground is located close to forest areas of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, where bison sightings are not uncommon.
The soldier has been identified as Akash Chauhan, a native of Panagarh Dehra near Dehradun in Uttarakhand. He was attached to the 17th Command Regiment and was undergoing a two-year Chinese language training programme at the Army Education Centre in Pachmarhi.
According to reports, a herd of bison emerged suddenly from the bushes near the playground while soldiers were playing. One of the animals charged at Chauhan from behind and gored him in the abdomen with its horns, causing severe internal injuries. He was taken to the military hospital in a critical condition, but died before he could be admitted. The sudden attack caused panic and chaos on the field.
Sanjeev Sharma, Assistant Director of the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Pachmarhi, confirmed the incident and said information received from the Army indicated that Chauhan died after the bison attack. He added that while bison herds sometimes enter the Army campus from the adjoining jungle, this was the first fatal case reported in the area. An investigation is underway.
Gopal Ghasle, the local police station in-charge, also confirmed Chauhan’s death, along with his attachment to the 17th Command Regiment and his ongoing training programme.
The postmortem is scheduled for Saturday. No detailed official statement from the Army has been issued yet.
The incident has drawn fresh attention to the increasing movement of bison in Pachmarhi. Residents said more than half a dozen wild bison had been roaming through residential areas for the past two days, including near Khalasa Hotel on Patel Road. Earlier, a herd had also blocked traffic at a small bridge near Shahid Dwar.
Wildlife officials have pointed out that bison, or gaurs, in the Satpura Tiger Reserve are large and powerful animals, often weighing between 400 kg and over 1,200 kg. They can turn aggressive when provoked. Although fencing exists in some forest stretches, the animals have been straying into human settlements.
The Satpura Tiger Reserve is known to have a substantial bison population, with earlier surveys recording more than 6,600 of the animals. The latest fatal attack has raised concerns about the safety of both local residents and personnel training in the area.
