CHITWAN, July 17: A person died in the eastern part of Chitwan on Tuesday morning after being trampled by a wild elephant. With this the number of deaths due to wild animal attacks near the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park (CNP) has reached 12 in this fiscal year.
Kanchha Darai, 62, of Ratnanagar Municipality-7 died at around 6:30 am on Tuesday after being attacked by an elephant near Baghmara Chaur. According to police, the elephant dragged him some 40 meters away from the site where he was walking. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Santosh Acharya, the chief of Area Police Office (APO), Tandi, informed Republica that Darai died on the spot.
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CNP is surrounded by the dense Badrahini forest and Rapti River. Darai used to earn his living by doing labor in Sauraha. He was going to his workplace from home when the wild elephant followed him and eventually killed him. Despite being near Sauraha, Badrahini forest has the risk of wild animals.
Every year, locals living near the forest bear a huge loss of crops and vegetables due to the wild animals. According to Bed Kumar Dhakal, Chief Conservation Officer of CNP, seven people died this year in elephant attacks while two were killed by tigers. Likewise, two were killed by rhinoceros and one died after being attacked by a crocodile. He further said that 45 persons have been injured in animal attacks this fiscal year.
Not just that, wild animals have destroyed 12 sheds and damaged crops worth a huge money. Wild animals attack people especially when they are in forests collecting fodder and timber. Dhakal suggested that people should also adopt some safety measures to prevent such incidents.
According to the government provision, the family members of each of those killed in animal attacks are provided a relief amount of Rs 1 million. Those injured can also claim the treatment cost. CNP has distributed Rs 15 million this fiscal year for the relief and treatment cost of wildlife victims.
