Tamulpur (Assam), 28 October (HS): Two persons were killed in separate wild elephant attacks in the India-Bhutan border areas of Hatiduba and NC Angarkata in Assam’s Tamulpur district on Wednesday, amid a growing human-elephant conflict in the region.

The deceased have been identified as Bowa Lohar (55) and Budhuwa Paik (50). According to reports, both were attacked by wild elephants while going to their agricultural fields on Wednesday morning. They killed on the spot.

Following the incident, police and forest department teams rushed to the locations and sent the bodies to a hospital for post-mortem examinations.

It may be mentioned that an another person was killed in a wild elephant attack at Paharipur along the India-Bhutan border on October 27.

A large herd of wild elephants has reportedly been descending from the hills of Bhutan into the border areas of Tamulpur district over the past few days in search of food, causing widespread damage to human settlements and agricultural land.

The elephants have been entering houses, damaging betel nut plantations and destroying standing paddy crops. They have also been feeding on ripened paddy, leaving farmers worried about their livelihoods and distressed over the loss of their crops.

Local residents have urged the forest department to take concrete and effective measures to address the recurring elephant menace and prevent further loss of human lives and agricultural produce.------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash