Uttarakhand forest watcher crushed to death by wild elephant in Kumaon | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Uttarakhand forest watcher crushed to death by wild elephant in Kumaon

Hindustan Times, Rudrapur | ByHT Correspondent | Edited by Abhinav Sahay
Jun 17, 2020 11:40 PM IST

Man animal conflicts are on the rise in Uttarakhand

A forest watcher was crushed to death by a wild elephant on Wednesday in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region’s Haldwani forest division while on patrolling duty, forest officials said.

There have been several incidents of elephants killing humans in Uttarakhand in the recent past.(HT Photo/Representative)
There have been several incidents of elephants killing humans in Uttarakhand in the recent past.(HT Photo/Representative)

“One of our forest watchers was on patrol with other forest officials in Haldwani forest division in Kumaon. An elephant suddenly appeared and trampled him to death. Other forest officials drove away the tusker and recovered the body of the forest watcher,” said Parag Madhukar Dhakate, conservator of forests, western circle, Kumaon.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Bhuwan Ram, 51, a resident of Lakhamandi, Chaurgalia was on patrol in Karakot beat of the forest division when attacked. Other officials tried to save him by raising an alarm but by that time Bhuwan had lost his life, officials said.

“Our department has sanctioned ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh for the deceased’s family and officials on patrolling have been advised to be more alert these days,” Dhakate said.

This is not the first incident of elephants killing people in the hill state in the recent past. In May this year, a 65-year-old old labourer working in Chilla range of Rajaji National Park was mauled to death by a tusker.

Also Read: Uttarakhand: 43 fresh Covid-19 positive cases take state tally to 1,985

Last year in November, a 52-year-old man died after a wild elephant used his trunk to pull him out of a bus he was travelling in, and flung him out in the air near Corbett Tiger Reserve. In the same month, a wild elephant killed two people, including a woman in Haridwar district while on a rampage in two villages. In June last year, a 60-year-old man was crushed to death by a wild elephant in the forests of Kaladungi area in Nainital district.

Uttarakhand has 1,797 elephants, including 1,035 in Corbett landscape and 309 in Rajaji landscape according to forest officials. Man-elephant conflict is on the rise in the state. The aggression of elephants in Uttarakhand’s Corbett landscape, Rajaji National Park landscape and Tarai areas is becoming a major concern for wildlife officials. People are killed by elephants on a regular basis and elephants also get killed due to electrocution and train-hits.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On