Rampaging tusker kills 3 women
Dhenkanal: Three women were killed and three others injured in an attack by a wild tusker at a forest in Dhenkanal district on Tuesday, a senior officer said. The incident happened near Lochapali village in Patpuri forest of Sadar range.
The six women had gone to the dense forest to collect firewood when they came across the wild elephant. “The elephant suddenly appeared before us and attacked without any provocation,” one of the survivors said.
A forest patrol team rescued the women immediately, but three of them lost their lives. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sumit Kumar Kar said that the deceased were identified as Indu Pradhan (60), Tuni Behera (50), and Kuntala Pradhan (40). The families of the victims will be provided with compensation as per the provision of the government, he said. Rama Dehuri, Rasmita Pradhan, and Jhili Pradhan are undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital, and their condition is stated to be normal. Authorities said that the area has significant elephant movement, with nearly 30 elephants recorded within a 10-km radius at the time of the incident.
The tragedy occurred during a period of high human-elephant conflict in Odisha. Five persons were killed in such attacks in the first 10 days of February alone. Incidents of man-jumbo conflict are being reported across the State at regular intervals. Elephants are also facing violent retaliation from local population. The poachers also take advantage of the situation to lay a vicious trap to kill them. Measures to curb man-animal conflict need to be undertaken on a war-footing, according to conservationists.
The wild animals are wandering into human settlements searching for food due to shrinking habitats. The protected parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which serve as vital elephant corridors, are facing massive encroachment from people foraging and grazing cattle in the forests. The human interference of this nature is giving rise to frequent man-pachyderm confrontation, say wildlife activists. Currently, the State is home to 2.098 elephants, including 313 adult tuskers, spread over 38 forest divisions.
