A 55-year old woman was found dead in a forest at Teliamura sub-division in Tripura on Thursday evening. According to locals, a herd of wild elephant trampled her. Forest Department personnel had to face the wrath of deceased’s relatives.
Family members of the deceased woman said, the victim, Bhalobasa Das went to forest at Jumbari area under Teliamura Police Station in Tripura on Thursday for cattle rearing. However, she did not return even after the dusk. The area often comes under attack of rampaging wild elephant. Anxious relatives fanned out to search her.
After a hectic search, woman’s body was found. Local people immediately took her to Hospital – however, in-charge doctor declared her as brought dead. The deceased woman hailed from DM Colony in Teliamura.
Her death sparked dissent among the local people as vast swaths of villages under Teliamura and Kalyanpur sub-divisions are almost regularly withstanding jumbo attacks.
Forest department personnel rushed to the Hospital to meet the victim’s family members – they had to face the wrath of relatives of the deceased woman. They gheraoed the Forest personnel in the Hospital and started venting anger. At last, Police rushed to the spot and rescued the beleaguered Forest Personnel.
Wild tuskers, in search of food, very often stroll into villages under the two sub-divisions and destroy properties as well as crops.
With lack of food in forests due to mindless destruction forest resources, herds of wild elephants venture into villages. Several steps have been initiated to avert the man-animal conflicts. Anti Depredation Squad (ADS) has been formed. However, all proved to be ineffective in curbing the jumbo menace. Even as ADS has provided some confidence to the villagers, the ADS is yet to prevent jumbo attacks.
Driven by hunger, the elephants come out of the forest in a rampaging mood and destroy whatever comes across. The locals are suffering financial losses as well as spending sleepless nights.