Athagarh, Jan 25: Yesterday afternoon, seven Forest staff were injured among which one got seriously injured when an injured elephant attacked them inside Sukasana forest under Athagarh Forest Range in Cuttack. Forest Guard, Promod Behera under Athagarh Forest Range in Cuttack. Five days ago, the Forest staff had sighted a limping elephant inside the Athagarh Forest Range when an abandoned tyre got stuck on its front left foot. In order to treat the injured elephant, the Forest staff yesterday noticed it inside the Sukasana forest. When the staff tried to tranquilize the elephant, it suddenly attacked them thus injuring the seven staff and critically injuring the Forest Guard, Promod Behera. The elephant lifted him with its trunk and crushed him under its feet after crashing him on the ground. However, he could be saved as the Forest staff managed to drive the tusker away.
Talking to media persons later, Prof Indramani Nath, tranquilizer expert of Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, said that the attempt to tranquilize the injured elephant has been put on hold after it attacked a member of the tranquilizing team. Though the elephant is injured, it is now in an aggressive mood. It will take 4-5 days to bring the elephant in normal mood after which the expert will try again to tranquilize it.
