Keonjhar: A 50-year-old man was killed in an elephant attack in Karuagarh forest under the Bhuyan Juang Pidha range in Keonjhar’s Banspal block. The deceased was identified as Binod Mahakud, a local resident.Sources said Mahakud had gone to the forest near his village on Tuesday to graze goats but did not return. His family searched for him in the evening and then lodged a complaint at Nayakote police station. Police and forest department personnel carried out a joint search operation on Wednesday morning and found Mahakud’s mutilated body in the forest.Officials said he had deep wounds on multiple parts of his body, and elephant footprints were found near the spot. Police sent the body to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem. Locals said elephant herds have been roaming Danla forest and surrounding areas, with animals straying into settlements and damaging livelihoods. They demanded the forest department act to drive the herd away, ensure safety measures and provide compensation to the victim’s family.“A herd of 12 elephants is roaming in the area. People are being warned not to go into the forest, but such incidents are happening because they are going. The herd is being monitored,” said range officer, Nayan Kanta Sahu.
