Man killed in elephant attack

A tribal was killed in an attack by a herd of wild elephants in Tripura's Khowai district, about 70 km from here, official sources said today.
The 35-year-old man was seiously injured by the elephants when he was collecting firewood in the jungled in Gadaibari village on Thursday, Forest Ranger of Kalyanpur Forest division, Lal Mohan Das told reporters.
Villagers and forest department officials immediately rushed him to Khowai hospital, from where he was shifted to Agartala Government Medical College where he succumbed to his injuries yesterday.
Forest department has deployed guards in the area so that the herd, which has also damaged standing ctops, does not sneak into the nearby villages from there.

Forest officials said the pachyderms were entering human habitation in search food as their habitats were damaged due to depletion of forests. This had happened in Khowai district a number of times this summer.
Officials said the Centre has approved a proposed state gpvernment scheme to create an elephant reserve in Baramura hill range encompassing Khowai district.