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Tusker tramples elderly priest to death in KWS
Panic grips villages near Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary after two fatal elephant attacks in two days, prompting heightened surveillance and caution.
Panic continues to grip villages adjoining the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary located on the Indo-Nepal border after a wild tusker brutally trampled an elderly priest to death late Sunday night, marking the second fatal elephant attack in the area within two days. On Saturday, a 45-year-old woman died in an alleged tusker attack.
The back-to-back fatalities have heightened fear among villagers, with forest officials intensifying surveillance and urging people to exercise extreme caution as elephant movement continues to rise in the region.
The incident occurred at Katiara Baba hermitage, located within the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, when the elderly priest, identified as Suresh Das, was having dinner with his companion Ram Lakhan around 9pm. Ram Lakhan said he had briefly stepped away to wash utensils when a wild elephant suddenly entered the hut and began vandalising the structure.
In the meantime, the tusker chased the priest, who tried to escape but fell after running a short distance. The enraged elephant then lifted him with its tusks, threw him to the ground and repeatedly trampled him, killing him on the spot. Ram Lakhan said he could only watch helplessly as the elephant carried out the fatal attack.
Ram Lakhan immediately informed village head Shyam Lal, who reached the spot along with villagers. Police from Sujauli police station, led by station house officer (SHO) Prakash Chandra Sharma, and forest department personnel also arrived at the scene. Range forest officer (RFO) Katarniaghat Range said increased elephant activity and darkness made access to the site difficult during the night.
Divisional forest officer Apoorv Dixit confirmed that the attack was carried out by a tusker and said elephant movement has increased significantly in recent days. He added that forest teams and trained elephant watchers have been deployed to monitor the animal’s movement to assist villagers. Residents living near forest areas have been advised to remain vigilant, carry flashlights at night, and avoid venturing alone into forest zones.
Second fatality in two days
On Saturday, one Munni Devi, a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri was killed in an alleged elephant attack on the Bichhiya-Mihipurwa road within the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. The woman was on a bike with her two sons when a tusker allegedly attacked them. Munni succumbed to her injuries, while her sons Karan and Arjun sustained serious injuries. The forest department is still awaiting a postmortem report to confirm the cause of death of the woman.
