DHENKANAL: A 60-year-old man of Neulapoi village under the Sadangi range of Dhenkanal forest division was killed after being attacked by an elephant here on Saturday. This comes a day after a 65-year-old man met a similar fate in the Hindol range. Khirod Swain had gone to the forest near his village to collect mangoes when the lone tusker trampled him to death. On receiving information, forest officials reached the village.
Dhenkanal divisional forest officer (DFO) Sumit Kumar Kar said around 10 elephants are roaming in the Sadangi range area. “The deceased had gone to the forest to collect mangoes and got killed by the jumbo. As per the new policy of the government, the family of the deceased is entitled to receive `6 lakh compensation,” he added.
The locals are repeatedly warned of the elephants’ presence but they still go to the forest to collect cashew nuts and mangoes and get killed, the DFO informed. Sources said the Dhenkanal forest division houses around 200 elephants due to which incidents of man-animal conflict are high in the area. As many as 10 deaths have been reported in the Hindol range in the last six months.