Panaji: A forest guard was grievously injured after being knocked down by a tusker early Thursday morning at Hassapur, but escaped miraculously as the animal cantered towards the Goa-Maharashtra border.

The victim, Budaji Appa Naik, received an injury on the neck, which required 11 stitches and a fracture on the right hand. "He was lucky nothing else happened as the elephant moved past him," S R Prabhu, range forest officer, Pernem told TOI on Thursday.

He was first rushed to the Casarvarnem health centre and later shifted to the GMC hospital at Bambolim. Forest officials said he is recovering and is out of danger. "Either the elephant kicked him out of the way or pressed against him; Budaji did not realise what happened due to shock," said M K Shambu, deputy conservator of forests, North Goa.

After receiving a call from the villagers at around 6 am, the range forest officer informed forest guards from the area. Budaji Appa Naik, 50, of Anconem, Soma Parwar and Gopinath Halarnkar of Ibrampur and two Hassapur locals, Namdev Malik and Digamaber Naik, rushed to the site.

The elephant was trying to enter Hassapur village through the gates of a canal of the Tillari dam, but as it was locked it could not enter. The two villagers and forest guards tried to push the elephant towards Maharashtra. In the confusion, the elephant either attacked Budaji or moved past him, injuring him in the bargain.

The same tusker had entered Goa a week back and started eating harvested paddy near Mopa Kadshi. "It had been driven back, but often reappeared only to recede every time," said S Henriques, sub division forest officer.