Pet elephant Jasoda kills a tribal when offered banana plant
Angul, November 08:
Pet elephant Jasoda from Chandaka Wildlife sanctuary, requisitioned by Satkoshia Tigher Reserve to help capture tigress Sundari, had killed one 45 year old tribal man near Purunakote range office Thursday.
The tranquilization of the tigress Sundari was conducted with the help of Jasoda on Tuesday and after that the elephant was housed at the Purunakote range office premises.
Today morning mahut took it to a nearby jungle for feeding bamboo leaves. He left the place leaving the animal there but alerted the villagers not to venture near to her.
At about 12 noon one villager Sudhir Padhan, a tribal collected a banana plant and went near to the elephant to feed her without knowing that the elephant will be so violent .
The pet elephant caught him and crushed on the ground killing him on the spot.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Satkosia Rama Samy described the incident as most unfortunate.
He confirmed that the man was killed when he went near to the elephant to feed the banana plant. A sum of Rs 4 lakh is being given to the next kin of the deceased besides, the forest department has released Rs, 40,000 for funeral expenses.
Soon after the mishap the mahut brought pet elephant Jasoda the range office where she was staying and left the place apprehending attack from the villagers who were peeved over the incident The elephant experts are in confusion as to why Jasoda turned so violent being a pet animal.
Some claimed that she was over utilized by forest department since she was brought from Chandka to Satkosia on Saturday last .
She had almost travelled about 100 kms in these three to four days in satkosia forest before the tigress was tranquilized.
Another expert also opine that she was feeling loneliness in satkosia without her partner and which might have disturbed her mentally.
Meanwhile, tigress Sundari which has killed two men after it was translocated inside the satkoshia Tiger Reserve for increasing the tiger population, is stated to be in good health in the enclosure at Raigoda.
The forest officials are constantly monitoring her all movements and behavior and found all the parameters are stable and normal.
Sources said the tigress will stay inside the special enclosure till a final decision is taken as to whether it would be sent back to Madhya Pradesh from where it had come or housed inside the Nandankanan Zoo as proposed by the forest officials.