DHENKANAL: A lone tusker, separated from its herd, claimed the life of a 51-year-old farmer identified as Abhay Mohanty from Kurunti village in Dhenkanal Sadar range.The tusker, which had crossed the Brahmani river into the Meramandali side of Dhenkanal district, encountered Mohanty on Tuesday evening when he went to the riverbank for some work. The tusker attacked Mohanty on the spot, resulting in his death. The incident came to light this morning when Mohanty’s body was found.
Dhenkanal divisional forest officer (DFO) Sumit Kar stated that forest officials rushed to the scene on being informed. While the reason of Mohanty’s visit to the riverbank remains unclear, the DFO said the tusker had returned to the Parjang area, crossing the Brahmani river, according to the tracking of its movements. “Preparations are underway to provide compensation to the deceased farmer’s family,” he stated.