Jumbo scare grips UP’s Pilibhit, farmer trampled to death, another injured in last 10 days

In Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district, a wave of anxiety has gripped local communities following two wild elephant attacks in the past ten days. These incidents have led to the death of a 61-year-old farmer and serious injuries to another, prompting the state Forest Department to heighten its vigilance in the region. The latest tragedy occurred in Dhakiya Talluke Maharajpur village, where Punnu Mandal was trampled to death by an elephant while he was sleeping inside his thatched hut on a Saturday night. This incident came to light early Sunday morning when villagers noticed significant damage to the hut and found Mandal's body with clear signs of an elephant attack. In response, the government announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased farmer’s family. The earlier incident took place on October 24 in Ujhainia village, approximately 40 kilometers away from the latest attack site, where two elephants attacked a 32-year-old farmer named Shyam Lal, leaving him severely injured. It is believed that these elephants crossed into Indian territory from Nepal's Shuklaphanta National Park, which lies close to the international border and the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. Officials suspect that the elephants are venturing into the border areas in search of food and water, which has brought them into closer contact with human settlements. To address this growing conflict, forest officials are closely tracking elephant movements and regularly visiting the affected villages to warn residents. They have advised people not to venture near forested areas, especially at night, and to avoid sleeping alone outside their homes. Manish Singh, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Pilibhit, emphasized that while locals were already being warned about tiger presence, the recent elephant-related incidents have made it necessary to alert them about elephants as well. The forest department is taking several preventive measures, including monitoring elephant routes and restricting villagers' nighttime movements near the forest to reduce potential clashes. After the attack at Dhakiya Talluke Maharajpur, elephant footprints were found near the site, and officials noted that the elephant likely returned to Nepal through the same forest corridor. Besides the human casualties, these elephants have caused crop damage and broken some unoccupied huts in the vicinity. The fact that the two villages involved in the attacks are 40 kilometers apart suggests that different elephants might be responsible for each event. Previously, the department had relocated two elephants believed to be crossing the border frequently to reduce such incidents. However, the recent attacks indicate that other elephants from Shuklaphanta National Park might also be entering Pilibhit’s forest belt, intensifying human-wildlife conflict in the area. Authorities continue to urge villagers living near the border to stay alert and follow safety advisories to prevent further unfortunate incidents. The ongoing situation highlights the challenges faced in managing wildlife movements in transboundary forest zones and ensuring the safety of local communities while conserving vulnerable animal populations.