A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: Even before tensions had subsided following the recent death of a young man in a wild elephant attack under Bokial forest range of the Golaghat forest division, another tragic incident occurred on Tuesday. A wild elephant attacked a couple in Hanboka Hill under the Deithor sub-range office of the North Dolamara Regional Forest Office, Karbi Anglong, near Numaligarh. In this incident, the wife died on the spot, while the husband sustained grievous injuries.
According to reports, on Tuesday evening, Charansing Hanshe and his wife Ranjita Terangpi of Hanboka village had gone to Hanboka Hill to collect taro leaves. Forest officer Noren Phangso informed that two elephants were present at the spot. The couple could not see the wild elephant camouflaged within the dense forest. Suddenly, the elephant appeared close to them and launched an unexpected attack. As a result, Ranjita Terangpi (41 years) died at the scene of the attack, while her husband, Charansing Hanshe, was seriously injured.
A joint team from Deithor police and the Forest Department reached the spot, recovered the woman's body, and sent it to Diphu Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination. Arrangements have also been made for the treatment of the injured man.
Wild elephants in and around the Numaligarh region have recently become extremely aggressive. Like cattle, they roam through villages even during the day in search of food, putting the lives and property of local residents at constant risk. However, the helpless Forest Department appears to have completely failed in mitigating the growing human-elephant conflict.