BARIPADA: A 55-year-old man was trampled to death by a tusker at Kalianal village under Betnoti range of Baripada forest division here on Thursday night.
Police identified the deceased as Puina Dehuri. As per sources, Dehuri along with his two daughters was sleeping in a Mamata Gruha located at the end of the village when two elephants, that had been roaming in Betnoti’s Chhatna forest for the past few days, entered the area in search of food.
When Dehuri and his daughters heard the sound of tree branches being broken, they rushed outside. When the tuskers spotted them, his daughters escaped to their neighbour’s house but Dehuri couldn’t. As a result, one of the tuskers dragged him out of the house and killed him on the spot.
On being informed by the neighbours, forest personnel reached the area but by that time the jumbos had left. Range officer Monwar Khan said Dehuri and his daughters slept in the Mamata Gruha since it was lying vacant. However, it was in a dilapidated condition.
At least two elephants herds are presently roaming the range since the last one month. While eight of them are moving in Badampur reserve forest, these two tuskers have been roaming in Chhatna forest area for the last few days, Khan informed. “The deceased’s family will be compensated after they upload the legal heir certificate and other documents on Anukampa website,” he added.
Locals, meanwhile, said they are living in fear as the elephant herds enter into human settlements at night and destroy their crops.