Overview
- An elderly priest identified as Suresh Das was killed late Sunday at a hut near the Katiyara outpost in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, with forest officials attributing the death to a tusker.
- Less than 48 hours earlier, Munni Devi died on a road inside the sanctuary and her two sons were injured, with the forest department awaiting a postmortem to confirm whether an elephant attack or an accident caused her death.
- Officials reported that a herd of roughly 30 elephants entered the Katiyara area and at one point surrounded a forest outpost, forcing staff to retreat before returning with reinforcements.
- Authorities have intensified patrolling, issued village advisories, installed loudspeakers, and are using hooters, firecrackers, and chilli-laced hay to steer elephants away while mapping the herd’s routes.
- In a separate case in Jharkhand, a herd of 18 elephants killed six people, including a three-month-old baby, with the district forest officer confirming the deaths and promising compensation to families.