Two killed in elephant attacks in Jhargram

 The two deaths — one on Tuesday and another on Sunday— took the number of lives lost in the man-jumbo conflict in the district this month to four — three men and one elephant

Debraj Mitra, TT, Calcutta, 22.08.24 : The two deaths — one on Tuesday and another on Sunday— took the number of lives lost in the man-jumbo conflict in the district this month to four — three men and one elephant.

A female elephant, part of a herd of five that strayed into Jhargram town on Thursday morning, was killed after being speared by a burning iron stick, apparently by a member of a hula party.

A tusker that was part of the same herd killed a man before being darted and released into the wild.

A forest department probe into the killing of the female elephant — a Schedule I animal — has so far netted two men. They were arrested on Tuesday and produced in the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate in Jhargram on Wednesday.

The two have been sent to police custody, said forest officials. “We are looking for at least one more person,” said Umar Imam, the DFO of Jhargram.

Forest sources said a temporary ban had been placed on hula parties in the district.

“Most of the hula parties are trained. The killing of the elephant was a stray incident. But now, there is a ban on all hula parties,” said a forest official.

Hula squads comprising local residents deployed to steer jumbos away from human settlements. The forest department deploys a section of the parties. But since hula members get money, many unmonitored groups also jump into the fray when elephants stray into human settlements.

The groups are armed with searchlights, flaming torches and crackers. They are accused of violating a 2018 Supreme Court order that banned using fire torches and cannonballs on elephants.

Forest officials have said the hula parties deployed by the department do not violate the norms.

According to a forest official, the two arrested face seven years in jail if found guilty.