A 49-year-old man was killed on Thursday, 8 November, by an elephant who had been brought in to help capture a tigress in Odisha’s Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to a statement released by the state Forest Department, locals had been demanding that the tigress, Sundari, be removed from the area as she had allegedly killed two people, The Indian Express reported.
Following these complaints, a female ‘kumki’ (trained) elephant called Joshoda was brought into the sanctuary to help track down the tigress. The elephant trampled a man, Sudur Pradhan, while he was feeding her, the report said quoting a Forest Department statement.
Pradhan was not a trained mahout – someone who works with and rides an elephant – and had ignored warnings by the forest staff not to feed the elephant, the statement said.
Authorities did not explain why an untrained man was allowed to feed an elephant.
The forest department has announced Rs 4 lakh as compensation and an immediate ex gratia payment of Rs 40,000 to Pradhan’s family, the report added.
The tigress Sundari was caught and tranquilised on Tuesday, 6 November, by a team that had been tracking her for a fortnight. The Forest Department said it has not decided about the tigress’ future.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)