Odisha: Tusker kills elderly man, injures wife

DHENKANAL:  An elderly man was killed and his wife sustained critical injuries after being attacked by a tusker near Kausinali village under Mahabirod forest range in Dhenkanal division on Monday. The deceased was identified as Rama Behera (77) of Kausinali. His wife Tara Behera (65) is undergoing treatment in Dhenkanal district headquarters hospital (DHH) and her condition is serious.

Mahabirod ranger Satya Narayan Sahoo said at around 5.30 am, the couple went to the nearby forest to answer the call of nature. They came cross the tusker which attacked them. Both of them sustained critical injuries and were rushed to Parjang hospital by forest personnel. While Rama succumbed to injuries, his wife was shifted to the DHH after her condition worsened.

Following the incident, tension flared up in Kausinali as villagers blamed the Forest department for the elephant attack. They alleged that forest officials failed to drive the tusker away from human habitation leading to the mishap.

Sahoo informed that an ex-gratia of Rs 40,000 was provided to bereaved family. Currently, 22 elephants are present in Mahabirod forest range. The forest personnel are monitoring the movement of the elephants, he added.

Carcass of elephant calf found
Baripada: The carcass of an elephant calf was found in Nato reserve forest under Kaptipada range within Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district on Sunday.

Forest dwellers who had gone to collect mushrooms, spotted the carcass and informed forest officials. Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) T Ashok Kumar and divisional forest officer (DFO) of Baripada Santosh Joshi along with a team rushed to the spot. Veterinary teams from STR and Kaptipada conducted autopsy of the carcass. 

DFO Joshi said the calf was male and around five-month-old. It is being suspected that the calf was killed due to infighting among some members of the elephant herd. 

The carcass was buried after postmortem.