In a tragic incident, a forest department staff member, Sudhakar B Atram, lost his life after being trampled by a wild elephant in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Saturday.
Sudhakar B Atram was a driver with the forest department. Following an alert from villagers that wild elephants had entered Palasgaon forest, a forest department team, including Mr Atram, reached the spot.
While attempting to drive the herd away, Atram parked his vehicle by the roadside and began recording a video. During this moment, one of the elephants charged towards him. While others managed to escape, Atram tripped and fell, resulting in the fatal attack by the wild elephant.
The body has been sent for autopsy, and authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident. This incident highlights the ongoing issue of elephants from Odisha entering Maharashtra, causing significant crop losses. Just two months ago, another incident involving a wild elephant resulted in the death of an elderly man, with several others sustaining injuries.