Assam: Two kids among four killed in man-elephant conflict in Bokajan

BOKAJAN: In a shocking incident, wild jumbos trampled to death four persons including two minor children, at Lalo Basti near Barmanthi under Bokajan police station in Karbi Anglong district on Thursday. The deceased have been identified as Rebecca Kerketa (28), Kanya Tiria (50) and two kids. All of them are from the same family. The incident took place in the Bormanthi village under East Forest range, Bokajan at around 3 pm on Thursday. The family was returning home from their Citronella field when they met the herd of two elephants on their way. The herd charged them and trampled them immediately.

Later, police and forest personnel arrived at the spot and recovered the bodies of four persons. The bodies have been sent to Diphu Medical College and Hospital for postmortem. The incident sent a shockwave across Karbi Anglong district.

This is not only the first incident. Earlier, a small school going girl was trampled to death in board daylight at Longkathar village under Khatkhati Forest beat on January 4, 2017. In August, 2019, a 13-year-old-girl was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Phulbari area of Bokajan.

In May 2019, a pregnant woman and her 4-year-old daughter were trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in the Sunday Bazaar area along Assam-Nagaland border. Massive deforestation of forests compelled the elephant herds to enter into human habitat in search of food.

Casualties have resulted in either sides. Several elephants have been killed in recent years over railway tracks, electrocution and injuries caused during conflict with human. A tusker was killed in Bokajan after being knocked down by the Guwahati-Mariani Busy Express on May 5 last year.

Another Tusker was electrocuted to death in the Dhansiri Tea Estate under Silonijan Ranger in Bokajan Subdivision, a couple of years back. A team of Forest officials and WTI (Wildlife Trust of India) Veterinarians rescued a injured wild elephant at Nambor Reserve Forest in Karbi Anglong-Golaghat border in 2016.

Earlier in 2018, a bullet-riddled carcass of an adult male elephant with both its tusks removed was found in the Horumanthi area under Bokajan East Forest Division.

The human-elephant conflict is now in such a dimension that a village was relocated to make way for elephants in Karbi Anglong. All 19 families of Ram Terang village in Bokajan subdivision was shifted from a vital corridoor which connects Nambar-Doigrung Wildlife Sanctuary with Karbi Anglong forest and eventually with Kaziranga National Park. The move was initiated by WTI (Wildlife Trust of India), in association with the forest department and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

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