Tragic Encounters: Elephants Cause Fatalities in Odisha's Angul and Keonjhar Districts

Recent Elephant Incidents in Odisha

In Bantala, a tragic incident unfolded when a tusker was electrocuted, while two individuals lost their lives due to elephant attacks in Angul and Keonjhar districts, as reported by forest officials on Saturday.

The first incident involved the tusker, which was electrocuted after it touched the solar fencing surrounding a farmer's property in Talasira village, located within the Pampasar forest section of the Angul forest division, late Friday night.

Following the incident, authorities apprehended the farmer, Ranjan Kumar Sahu, attributing responsibility for the elephant's demise to him.

The deceased elephant, approximately 30 years old, was drawn to the village in search of mangoes, according to Bantala forester Prasanna Kumar Sahu.

It has been noted that elephant herds often wander into nearby villages due to a lack of food in their natural habitat.

In a separate incident, an elderly man named Prasanna Nayak was tragically trampled while gathering mangoes from an orchard in Kanaloi, Bhagamunda village, also in Angul district.

Upon spotting the elephant, Prasanna attempted to flee, but the animal caught him with its tusks and fatally injured him.

This incident led to unrest in the community, prompting forest ranger Subhara Suchismita Sahu and other officials to engage with the upset villagers.

The situation calmed after the ranger promised compensation and support to the grieving family. Additionally, a 60-year-old man, Rabi Mohanta, was killed by a tusker in Jalpaposhi village under Bamebari police jurisdiction on Friday night while returning from Neklapalai village.

Reports indicate that the tusker has been responsible for three fatalities in the region over the past ten days. Furthermore, forester Rajendra Jena and members of the elephant squad sustained injuries and required hospitalization after being attacked by locals during their visit to the site.