SILCHAR: A 77-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant near Assam’s Orang National Park in Sonitpur district early Wednesday, forest officials said.
The incident occurred at around 4.45 am near the boundary of the national park, when an elephant that had strayed out of the protected area attacked Khushimohan Mandal, a resident of Goroimari Pathar village under Borsola police station in Sonitpur district.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sonitpur West Biswajyoti Das said Mandal sustained critical injuries in the attack and died while being transported to a medical facility.
“The wild elephant had strayed out of Orang National Park. The victim was attacked near the park’s boundary in the early hours of the morning,” the DFO said.
Forest officials said necessary procedures were being followed, including coordination with local authorities.
Human-elephant conflict remains a persistent concern in several parts of Assam, particularly in fringe areas near protected forests, where elephants often stray into human settlements.
According to forest officials, increased elephant movement during the harvesting season has intensified the conflict.