Tragic Elephant Attack Claims Life of 60-Year-Old in Keonjhar

Fatal Encounter with a Rogue Tusker

Keonjhar: A tragic incident occurred in the forest area of Kulanga Balangisahi, located within the Bimala forest beat of the Telkoi range, where a 60-year-old man from the Juang tribal community lost his life due to an elephant attack. The victim, identified as Dhaneshwar Juang, was a resident of Kulanga Balangisahi village in the Raisuan panchayat of Telkoi block.

Reports indicate that the fatal encounter happened on Friday when Dhaneshwar was grazing his livestock near the edges of the Jharabeda reserve forest close to Jhinka Dari.

A rogue tusker, having strayed from its herd, attacked him by lifting him with its trunk, slamming him to the ground, and ultimately trampling him to death. Local residents, alerted by his cries, rushed to the scene and were able to drive the elephant away. Unfortunately, Dhaneshwar had already succumbed to his injuries by the time they arrived. Officials from the Telkoi forest department later came to the site to conduct an investigation. They reported that the tusker retreated back into the Jharabeda forest following the incident. This event underscores the increasing conflict between human populations and wildlife in the area.