Man killed in elephant attack near Jaldapara

Alipurduar: A fatal incident unfolded in Madarihat when a wild tusker entered a residential area in Madarihat late on Tuesday night, killing one person and raising fresh concerns over human-elephant conflict near Jaldapara National Park.

The deceased, Montu Saha (45), a resident of Sahapara, tried to protect his six family members when the elephant stormed into his house. He managed to move them to safety but was confronted by the animal. The tusker grabbed him with its trunk and flung him to the ground, killing him on the spot. Hearing the family’s cries, residents rushed to the scene, prompting the elephant to retreat into the forest.

With this incident, the death toll from elephant attacks in the Madarihat area has risen to nine since October, heightening concern among residents and forest officials.

Local environmentalist Supen Das attributed such incidents partly to panic among locals. “We are inviting danger upon ourselves due to unnecessary panic. The moment an elephant is detected in a locality, people should remain calm and quiet. If Montu Saha had not run around in panic, the tragedy could possibly have been avoided. Despite repeated warnings from the forest department, people are not paying heed,” he said. Parveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer of the Jaldapara Forest Division, termed the incident unfortunate and said the victim’s family would receive compensation as per government norms.