Tuskers wreak havoc in separate incidents in Odisha; temple priest trampled to death

In yet another human-elephant conflict, a temple priest was trampled to death by a tusker at Koreiapal village under Kamakhyanagar block in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Sunday.

Bidyadhar Dehury, 62, was performing his morning rituals at a nearby stream when he came across a solitary tusker unexpectedly emerging from the forest. The pachyderm attacked him, causing severe injuries by goring him in the right thigh and trampling him.

Despite swift efforts by the forestry department, who rushed the injured man to Kamakhyanagar Medical Centre, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. In the wake of the incident, the forest department has committed to providing financial assistance to Dehury's family as part of the state's compensation scheme for human- wildlife conflict victims.

Elephant Causes Havoc in Keonjhar Village

Panic ensued in the village of Gada Bandhogada under the Anandapur subdivision of Keonjhar district following the entry of a rogue elephant. The elephant, thought to have wandered in from a cashew forest near the village, has deeply unsettled the villagers over the past few days. 

Forest department officials are reportedly trying to direct the elephant toward the nearby deep forest to alleviate the distress felt by residents. It is believed that the animal strayed into the region from Tthe omka Reserve Forest in the Jajpur district.

Despite the best efforts of the authorities, villagers remain vigilant as fear and anxiety pervade the area, with many staying alert for any potential return of the elephant.

Elephant's Decomposed Carcass Discovered From Well

The decomposed remains of an elephant were found in an abandoned well near Kendutokoli village within the Athagarh range. Concern arose when locals detected a foul odour and reported it to the forest department.

It was not immediately known if the pachyderm had died a natural death or was killed by some hunters. Officials reassured the public that they were investigating the circumstances of the elephant's death thoroughly, stating that steps would be taken to ensure such incidents were prevented in the future.