Jumbos on rampage: 7 killed in 15 days in Sundargarh

Rourkela: With rapid industrialization and urbanization eating into the natural habitats of elephants, the man-animal conflict in the district appears to be heading towards a flashpoint, going by the number of casualties recorded in the last fifteen days.

In the last fortnight, marauding jumbos have caused consternation in several areas killing seven persons.

Areas under Ujjalpur forest division reported the death of six persons due to jumbos, including one of the victims belongs to Kukuridihi village yesterday morning.

The sudden spurt of deaths inflicted by the pachyderms has sparked off public outcry. Thousands of locals have recently blocked the Balisankara-Chhattishgarh road, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt for several hours. They clamoured for immediate preventive measures to check the growing elephant menace in their areas.

Angry over rising incidents of elephant attacks, hundreds of locals under the banner of Athakosia Adivasi Ekata Mancha staged a demonstration outside the office of divisional forest officer (DFO), Sundargarh. However, they called off their agitation following assurance by the DFO, Arjun Behera to take appropriate action.

Sources said a herd of elephants caused havoc in Ujjalpur forest division on December 25, 2012 when they killed one Bimla Ekka (35) and her two-year old son Rohit Ekka in Bijagada village.

The tusker that killed Bimla also entered Jharmunda village on night of December 30 and killed a couple. The deceased couple was identified as Dilmu Ekka (52) and Phulmani Ekka (48). On the same day, the same herd trampled Rama Kishore Rout (25) to death in Pasara village.

On Jan 2, the jumbos killed one Kastu Bariha (58) of Telijor village while three tuskers suspected to have strayed from Jharkhand, killed Kansala Majhi (60) in Kukuridihi village yesterday morning.

As part of efforts by the forest department to rein in the marauding jumbos from causing further damage, wildlife experts have been pressed into service to shoo them away.

Sundargarh DFO Arjun Behera said, “A team of wildlife experts has been mobilized in Sundargarh and is working on tranquilizing these giant animals.”

Behera also said that Kunki elephant Jasoda, a female elephant from Chandaka-Damapada and another Sobha from Jasipur will be used to drive out the herd from Sundargarh district.

However, the wildlife experts are yet to decide the time of operation as it all depends on the health of the kunki elephants, which are tired after long journey, added the DFO.