Five killed in mammoth attack in a year in Jhapa

JHAPA: A total of five persons have lost their lives in wild elephant attack in Jhapa in the current fiscal year.

Two elephants were also killed during the period, according to the Division Forest Office, Jhapa. All those killed in wild mammoth attack were elderly people.

Most of them were fatally attacked by wild elephant while they were working in the forest or farm land, the Division Forest Office said.

Assistant forester Raj Kumar Khatri shared that those killed in wild mammoth attack were Pena Kisan, 70, of Mechinagar Municipality-9, Ganesh Prasad Adhikari, 63, of Damak Municipality-3, Khamba Singh Karki,71, Mechinagar municipality-13, Ram Bahadur Burja,60, of Bhadrapur Municipality-9 and Krishna Bahadur Bhujel,77, of Kankai municipality.

Most of the attacks were recorded in the wee hours or dusk, assistant forester Khattri said. Among the wild elephants coming from India in herds on a daily basis, 13 have been staying in Jhapa’s forest permanently.

Conflict between human and elephant continues in Jhapa for the past four decades. The loss of human lives and properties due to wild elephant attacks has not stopped yet, said elephant conservationist Shanker Luintel.

Meanwhile, a young elephant and adult one were found dead at Ayabari of Buddha Shanti rural municipality-5 and Dahijhoda community forest of Arjundhara Municipality-4 in Jhapa district respectively, added Khattri.

Electric fencing was found around the dead mammoths hinting at the possibility of the wild elephants being intentionally electrocuted by the locals, he opined. (RSS)