Bengal: Three killed in elephant attacks in last 24 hours
Kolkata, Oct 23
Three persons, including one woman and a child, have been killed in two separate incidents of elephant attack in West Bengal during the last 24 hours.
The deaths have been reported from the Alipurduar district in North Bengal. According to state forest department officials, the first casualty because of the elephant attack took place at Madarihat area in Alipurduar district, when a person returning home was suddenly attacked by an elephant on the road adjacent to the Jaldapara National Park. The person killed in the attack has been identified as Kader Ali, a resident of the Chekamari area. He was severely injured in the elephant attack and was immediately rushed to Madarihat Rural Hospital by the local villagers, where he died soon after.
The second incident took place early Thursday morning at Madhya Khayerbari area, also in Alipurduar district. One woman, Sonia Munda, was sitting in front of her house along with her 18-month-old daughter, Lakshmi Munda, when suddenly an elephant came out of the jungle there and attacked them. Both of them died on the spot.
Local residents claimed that for quite some time now elephants have been coming to the localities adjacent to the jungle and often attacking people. At times they have even been destroying the residential huts of the local people, leaving the community distressed and unsafe.
The local people have also complained that although they have approached the state forest department officials several times for action to prevent elephants from coming into the localities from the jungles, their pleas have been ignored by the department officials.
As per data from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, a total of 436 individuals were killed in West Bengal during the period from 2019 to 2024, the latest available. Shrinking forest areas, coupled with an increase in elephant population, are considered the most important factors behind frequent human–elephant conflict in West Bengal. A number of mitigation initiatives, including building elephant corridors, using physical barriers like fencing, and forming committees to coordinate elephant movement, have been taken to reduce instances of such conflict.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Living near forest areas has become so dangerous in Bengal. My cousin works in Alipurduar and says elephant sightings have increased dramatically. The government's mitigation measures clearly aren't working effectively enough.
While I sympathize with the victims, we also need to understand the elephants' perspective. Their habitats are shrinking, forcing them into human settlements. This is a complex issue that needs balanced solutions.
The statistics are alarming - 436 deaths in just 5 years! This isn't just about individual incidents but a systemic failure in wildlife management and forest conservation policies.
The forest department officials ignoring local complaints is unacceptable. These are people's lives at stake. There should be accountability for officials who neglect their duty to protect citizens.
Having visited Jaldapara National Park last year, I saw firsthand how close human settlements are to elephant habitats. Better early warning systems and community awareness programs are urgently needed.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.