Jharkhand foresters team to keep tuskers at bay

Jharkhand foresters team to keep tuskers at bay

Concerned over rising cases of tusker menace in rural areas, the Jharkhand forest department has decided to develop a team of professional elephant chasers in the Dalma forest cover.

As part of the initiative, the Seraikela-Kharswan divisional forest authorities have planned to rope in Bankura-based trainer Bhola Mahato to train a band of professional elephant chasers.

Fifty-two-year-old Babu Mahato from Haribhanj in Kharsawan block was killed by a group of tuskers here recently. The farmer fell victim to the elephant’s wrath when he tried to drive a herd away from his paddy field along with other villagers.

In another incident, a herd of elephant trampled a 50-year-old to death at Bitapur jungle, five kilometres away from his village Rankakocha near Sini in Seraikela block.

Identified as Bir Singh Sardar, the victim was killed while trying to drive away the marauding herd comprising about 25 elephants from his paddy field.