Assam: Man-elephant conflict continues unabated, couple killed by wild elephant herd in Chaygaon

Once again a decade long conflict between man and elephant has come to the light after a couple was killed by a wild elephant herd on June 12 in Assam's Chaygaon. 

As per sources, the couple Thuleswar Rabha (55 years) and his wife Nilima Rabha (50 years) from 2 no. Kochpara village went to Bogai Reserve Forest hills for cultivation early in the morning. They used to go for cultivation on the hill side every day for the past many years. Some people went there to collect firewood and they saw the couple's dead bodies. After that they inform the other villagers and Boko police and Bamunigaon Forest Official. After getting the information police, forest and a medical team with medical staff went to the place and recovered their bodies.

Dasarath Rabha, brother of the Nilima Rabha said that they came to know that a herd of wild elephants were roaming in the area and killed them brutally.

It is to be mentioned that under the West Kamrup Divisional Forest areas, many incidents happened between man and elephant especially along the Assam-Meghalaya border area. Many people and many wild elephants have already died during the conflicts before.

Forest department’s sources said that the area where the incident happened is used for making charcoal by the smugglers and smugglers also used the area to stock wood logs. Also in the area, wild elephants are used to living and eating bamboo and other foods.

Forest officials suspected that the herd of wild elephants may have gotten angered and brutally murdered the couple.

Local people who went to the place along with police and forest officials to recover the dead bodies said that they saw wood logs and charcoal packets which were may be prepared to sell to the smugglers.

Moreover the state forest department failed to control the illegal charcoal making by cutting immature trees and deforestation precious trees. On the other hand, the State forest department organized many awareness meetings among the villagers to control the man and elephant conflicts.

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