SHILLONG/TURA: Two persons were recently killed in separate incidents of attack by wild elephants in Ri Bhoi and Garo Hills.
An elderly person identified as Linus Rani (60) from Nongbirthem village in Ri Bhoi was killed by a wild elephant in the Nongkhyllem Wild Life Reserve at Nongkynrih on December 21.
On January 2, Julindro Marak (57) of Salpara Bakenang village, under Mendipather police station, was killed by a wild elephant.
Marak was out in an open field on the night of January 2 when he was chased by a wild elephant which had entered the area in search of food.
The jumbo attacked him and left his body on the side of a field.The body was spotted by villagers around 7.30 pm and it was handed over to the family after post mortem.
Elephants frequent paddy fields in search of food during the winter months when there is not much to forage in the forests.
Herds of wild elephants from the Goalpara plains frequent the nearby paddy growing region of Garo Hills often leading to man-animal conflict.
Another area vulnerable to elephant attacks have been the border region of Garo Hills with neighbouring Bangladesh. Elephants cross over from either Bangladesh or the forests in South Garo Hills entering human dwellings. The problem is most felt in the Purakhasia-Gopinathkilla and Mahendraganj regions.
Two months ago, a farmer from Chapahati village of Mahendraganj who went to keep guard of his paddy at night was killed in an elephant attack.
Wildlife authorities have cautioned farmers against confronting the beasts and instead inform authorities so that necessary action can be taken by its teams to chase the animals away.
