Guwahati News Desk: Assam which has the country’s second highest elephant population is facing a rising trend in human elephant conflict in recent days.
The deceased identified as Rajib Gogoi (45) is a resident of Bojaloni under Margherita West Range forest office of Digboi Forest Division, Tinsukia. Reportedly, the victim was trampled to death by a wild elephant around midnight on Saturday.
According to officials at the forest department, the deceased Gogoi was waiting at his paddy field at Makumqilla road where an wild Elephant attacked him and he died on the spot.
Margherita West Range Forest officials have given an amount of Rs 5,000 to the next of the kin for funeral of the deceased. Margherita Police Station officer in charge Someswar Konwar informed that his team went to the spot and sent the corpse to Tinsukia Civil Hospital for post mortem.
On the other hand, train accidents, electrocution, poisoning, ‘accidental’ deaths like falling into ditches and even lightning strikes have led to the deaths of some 71 elephants while conflict between the tuskers and humans have seen 61 people killed during the year.
Over the last ten years a total 812 people and 900 elephants were killed as competition for land intensified.