Wild jumbo tramples a youth to death at Bihdubi village in Kaliabor on Thursday. The youth has been identified as one Raju Chauhan. The incident took place when Raju went out from his home for morning walk. When he came out of his home a wild jumbo trampled him to death.
Man-elephant conflict has increased alarmingly in the state. On March 21, a 70-year-old woman was trampled to death by a herd of wild jumbos at Dirok tea estate in Margherita area of Tinsukia district.
The victim Sonai Tanti was sleeping alone when the rampaging herd tore down her hut killing her in the process. In yet another incident of elephant attack a 44-year old housewife was trampled to death in the Jagun area on March 20.
Shrinking forest cover has forced the wild jumbos to venture out in search of food.
Forest officials in upper Assam have formed committees at the village level to check elephant depredation. Firecrackers and torch lights have been provided to the villagers to keep the wild pachyderm away from human habitation.
The forest official attributed the growing incidents of jumbo depredation to shrinking forest cover and encroachment of elephant corridors which have forced the pachyderms to move out from their ecological space and stray into places of human habitation.