Man Elephant Conflict / Four Elephant Attack Deaths In A Month In Dhenkanal, 65-Year-Old Among Latest Victims

Dhenkanal, Oct 25: A 65-year-old man died after being attacked by an elephant in Dalar village under the Sadangi forest range of Odisha’s Dhenkanal forest division on Sunday, triggering fresh concerns over rising human-elephant conflict in the area.

The deceased, identified as Sridhar Dehury, had reportedly stepped out of his house late at night around 1am to relieve himself when he was attacked by the elephant, a source informed.

He was initially admitted to the Sriramachandrapur Community Health Centre (CHC). He was later shifted to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Three Deaths Reported In A Month
According to the Forest Department, 21 elephants are currently present in the area. The herd reportedly comprised 22 elephants on the previous day, including 13 tuskers, six female elephants and three calves.

The latest fatality comes amid repeated incidents of human-elephant conflict in the Sadangi forest range. More than three people have reportedly died in elephant attacks in the area over the past month, while crops have also suffered damage.

Local residents have demanded that the elephant responsible for the attacks be tranquillised and relocated to prevent further casualties.

Also Read: Elephant Herds Spark Fear in Mayurbhanj Villages

Farmers Worried Over Crop Damage
Local resident Sudhanshu Das Samanta said several households in the village still do not have toilets, forcing people to go outdoors to relieve themselves. He alleged that a particular elephant had been creating problems in the area for the past few weeks.

“In this village, many people still do not have toilets at their homes. Hence, they go outside to attend nature’s call. This particular elephant has been creating a ruckus in the area for the last few weeks. As many as four people have lost their lives due to elephant attacks in the past month,” he said.

He added that elephants, wild boars and monkeys were damaging agricultural fields, further affecting farmers’ livelihoods. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the crop-loss compensation provided by the government and urged the authorities to take stronger measures to prevent human-animal conflict.