Search on for elephant that escaped after killing mahout

MP, 26 Nov 2023, Alipurduar: The Jaldapara Forest department is currently engaged in a search operation to locate Sundar, a tamed elephant under their care, after it killed its mahout (trainer and caretaker) and escaped on Saturday morning. 

Two teams of forest workers have been assembled and they are prepared to use sedation shots, if necessary, to subdue Sundar and bring her back to Holong. As of Sunday afternoon, there was no sign of Sundar. According to the Forest department, Sundar, aged 21, was born in Jaldapara and never displayed aggression towards mahouts in the past. 

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon while Sundar was bathing in the river and suddenly fled into the forest, scaring her Patawala (the helper responsible for collecting fodder for elephants and assisting in their daily care). 

Sundar’s location was traced near Jaldapara TEC Beat on Saturday, but the situation escalated when Sundar attacked her own mahout, Deepak Karji, as he approached her to bring her back but lost his life in the melee. 

Following the incident, Sundar once again vanished into the deep forest. Concerns have arisen within the Forest department about Sundar’s well-being, given the presence of a significant number of wild elephants in Jaldapara National Park. There is a genuine fear that Sundar may be injured if confronted by other wild elephants. Upon her return, Sundar will be placed under close surveillance for a minimum of 10 days, during which no work assignments will be given. Additionally, medical supervision will be provided. 

Navjeet De, the Assistant Wildlife Warden (AWLW) of Jaldapara National Park, said: “We have two active teams tirelessly searching for Sundar. She has a history of escaping deep into the forest and returning after 7-10 days. We are making efforts to bring her back as swiftly as possible.” 

In a separate incident, Manu Bhagat (33) lost his life after being attacked by a wild elephant in Satkodali village of Banchukamari village Panchayat, adjacent to the Buxa Tiger Reserve. The tragic incident occurred around 12:30 am on Saturday when Manu Bhagat ventured outside his house to relieve himself. A wild elephant, emerging from the jungle, attacked him, resulting in his death. 

The Forest department has assured that compensation will be provided to the deceased’s family in accordance with government rules. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/search-on-for-elephant-that-escaped-after-killing-mahout-541911