Jamshedpur: In a fresh incident of elephant trampling death, a 45-year-old man was killed by a herd of three elephants at Bankati village under Chakulia police station area in Ghatshila sub-division bordering Bengal on early morning.
The victim was identified as Iklu Sabar and was on his way to relieve himself in a nearby patch of jungle at Bankati village at about 4 am, when one of the elephants from a herd comprising three wild elephants attacked him, causing him to die on the spot.
The herd of three elephants which is anchored at Chakulia jungle bordering Bengal has been creating panic in the adjoining villages since the past three-four days. On Friday itself, the people of Sardiha panchayat in Chakulia had surrounded the local forest beat office complaining of widespread rampaging by a herd of three elephant at Maurabadi village, demanding the forest department to drive it away.
The herd had on Friday damaged two houses and destroyed crops at the paddy-field in the small hours before going back to the adjoining jungle.
About 26 deaths have taken place across Kolhan comprising twin districts of Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan district in one year due to elephant trampling.
According to sources, of the 20 deaths 17 were caused by the lone tuskers, prompting the forest department to develop new methods to prevent for saving oneself from such attack.
Kolhan has six forest divisions sharing border with the Odisha on the one side and Bengal in the other side and movement of wild elephants is common activity.
A forest official admitted that the movement of elephants from one forest division to another and from Jharkhand to neighbouring Odisha, Bengal and Chhatishgar has increased during the past one year.
“We are aware about the situation. The movement of elephants has increased as habitat of the elephants has also increased due to various development projects, including road and dam construction, resulting in elephants trampling deaths here in Kolhan,” he noted .