Mayurbhanj: A rogue elephant that had been wreaking havoc in Baripada by claiming four lives in the past three days was tranquillized on Thursday night.
According to sources, the rogue tusker has claimed four lives in the last three days. After wreaking havoc in Shuliapada and Betanati, the elephant has entered the Baripada range.
The Forest Department held an emergency meeting yesterday after it trampled a woman to death.
Acting on the state government’s order, four trained elephant mahouts from Assam arrived in Similipal to tranquilise the wild tusker. Equipped with two specially equipped vehicles carrying nets, and other necessary equipment for tranquilisation, the team set out to capture the elephant. The experts successfully tranquillized the wild tusker, restoring peace to the affected areas.
Earlier, locals blamed the district forest authorities for taking no action to tame it despite repeated pleas being made in this regard. As a result, the elephant remained unchecked.
When asked, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) refused to comment.
Meanwhile, environmentalists attribute the elephant’s aggression to past instances of cruelty, including being driven away by humans using harmful methods.
According to former wildlife officer, Bhanumitra Acharya, “The elephant’s behaviour is a result of prolonged mistreatment by humans which led to its current aggressive state.”
