Elephant Menace: Man killed, houses damaged in separate incidents

Dhenkanal/Rairangpur: In yet another case of man-animal conflict, a villager of Jakka under Kamakhyanagar police limits in Dhenkanal district was trampled to death by an elephant today.

As per reports, the deceased, identified as Gadadhara Moharana had gone to a nearby forest to collect woods near Kusumajodi village when the elephant attacked him.

Demanding compensation for family of Moharana, locals detained Dhenkanal Asistant Conservator Of Forests Bikram Naik, forester and ranger who had visited the spot.

Later, locals also locked the office of Anlabereni forester and staged a dharna.

Meanwhile, the Dhenkanal ACFO stated compensation will be provided to family of the victim as per legal provision.

Locals alleged that the officials of Forest department have failed to initiate stern measures despite repeated incidents of elephant attacks in the area.

In another incident, a herd of wild elephants wreaked havoc at Khejuri village in Rairangpur range of Mayurbhanj district.

The herd damaged houses of villagers as well as the mid-day meal rice packets stored in a school.

Villager are now in a state of panic as the pachyderms have stay put near Khejuri.

Locals are demanding that the Forest department should take urgent steps to drive the wild animals back into the forest and compensation for the losses.