ANGUL: The deadly obsession of clicking selfies with animals claimed a man’s life near Khamar here on Monday. The 50-year-old man, identified as Jaya Naik of Nimiribeda village, was trampled to death by an elephant after he tried to click a selfie with the animal.
Forest official sources said a herd of elephants was sighted near Khamar last night. While the herd left the area on Monday, a tusker aged about 30 years remained at Jumpeinala, six kms from Khamar town.
As news of the presence of tusker spread, people flocked to the spot at Jumpeinala to catch a glimpse of the pachyderm while Forest officials were also called in. The sources said around 500 people, who had gathered at the spot, started teasing the tusker who was hiding near a bush.
As per reports, Jaya repeatedly rushed towards the tusker in his bid to take a selfie with the animal. While his first three attempts for a selfie went in vain, the fourth turned fatal as the tusker chased Jaya from behind before trampling him to death.
Though Jaya was rushed to the nearby hospital after the mishap, he was declared dead by doctors. Jaya was a carpenter by profession.Ranger Sukesh Satruslaya said 19 elephants reside in Khamar Forest Range while another 20 regularly visit from adjoining Pallahara and nearby areas. Of the 19 elephants in the range, the tuskers roam alone without being attached to any herd.On Sunday morning, the herd moved from Taraigochia Reserve Forest and entered Sankhamur panchayat. The herd later left the area leaving behind the tusker which took the life of Jaya, he added.
Jumbos surface at Biramitrapur
Rourkela: Forest officials are on their toes to safely drive away a herd of 12 elephants from Tungritoli adjacent to Birmitrapur town in Sundargarh district. Rourkela Assistant Conservator of Forest JK Mohanty informed that on Sunday night, the herd was seen between Pratappur and Raiboga areas and later moved to Tungritoli hill and stayed put there. On Monday evening, the elephants started coming out
from the forest on the hill but squads guarding the localities kept the pachyderms away from human habitations, Mohanty said and added that the herd is being safely guided to deep forest. A couple of years back, an elephant chaser was trampled to death by a jumbo herd near Birmitrapur.