ITAHARI, March 21: Lalo Mandal, 50, of Kuswaha-4, Sunsari, who was attacked by a wild elephant that had strayed into his village from the Koshi Tappu wildlife Reserve (KTWR) a month ago, succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
Though Mandal was immediately admitted to a hospital after the tusker attack, was later taken home after being discharged.
A year ago, Sangita Kumari Yadav, 12, of Saptakoshi Municipality of Saptari died on the spot after a wild tusker attacked her. Similarly, Dhasina Khatun of Madhuban was crushed to death by an elephant.
Three years ago, Bholiya Devi Mukhia, 55, was killed by a wild elephant.
Locals in Sunsari, Saptari and Udaypur which are nearby KTWR are fed up with a life lived in terror of wild animals. Especially, people living in the reserve's buffer zone live under constant fear.
According to KTWR officials, eight people lost their lives in the last eight years in attacks by wild tuskers while six were killed by wild bulls. Shyam Kumar Shah, warden of the reserve, said “The locals need to be alert especially in the morning and night time to avoid such accidents.”
Spread in three districts, KTWR covers an area of 175 sq. km. Currently, there are more than 12 elephants and 419 wild bulls in the reserve. Besides causing human casualties, the wild beasts also damage crops leading to great loss for the farmers. According to locals, there is not enough food in the reserve for these animals, compelling them to go to human settlements.
The KTWR provides a compensation of Rs 500,000 to the family of a person killed a wild animal while the injured receives a maximum amount of Rs 100,000 as compensation.
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