Odisha forest staff killed by injured elephant while trying to tranquilise it for treatment

A 40-year-old member of the elephant squad of the Odisha forest department died after an injured tusker he was trying to tranquilise for treatment attacked him.

Forest officials in Dhenkanal district said Biswaranjan Panigrahi, 40, of the elephant squad was attacked by the injured elephant near Gahamkhunti village under Dhenkanal Sadar Forest Range on Friday while he was trying to tranquilise it with a dart gun.

“The tusker with an injured front right leg with blood oozing from it was seen moving in the Tikili Pokhari area near Gahamkhunti village for the last three days. On getting information, the forest officials went to the spot. Biswaranjan was trying to tranquilize it for treatment when the tusker attacked him from behind,” said Dhenkanal DFO PC Gogineni. The same elephant had killed two people last year.

The elephant was suspected to have been injured by a poacher’s bullet.

Though Panigrahi did not receive any superficial injuries, officials said he suffered internal bleeding. He was immediately rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Dhenkanal for treatment and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where he died during treatment.