Keonjhar: A 41-year-old man was trampled to death by a tusker in Nambira village in Keonjhar district on Thursday night, the second such fatality in the region within 10 days.
Hari Munda was killed around 11 pm when he attempted to drive away an elephant that had entered his property in the Bamebari section of Champua forest range. Family members said Munda was beating a tin when the agitated elephant chased and trampled him. The incident also resulted in damage to his cow shed.
Forest officials arrived at the scene and managed to chase away the elephant. Munda’s body was sent to Keonjhar for post-mortem on Friday.
“Compensation will be provided as per govt provisions,” said Ashok Das, assistant conservator of forests, Keonjhar. “We are tracking the elephant’s movements and warning locals to maintain distance and avoid provoking the animals.”
This incident follows the death of 22-year-old Karan Karua on Feb 20 in Badanai village. Karua was killed when he and others encountered a herd of four elephants in a sal forest. He suffered fatal internal injuries after being thrown away by one of the elephants.