An elephant killed a 61-year-old man in Samrang gewog, Samdrupjongkhar on November 9.

The incident occurred between 1:30 and 2am when the deceased went to chase the elephants entering his paddy field.

Samrang gup, Tarabir Bista, said the deceased was invited by one of the neighbour for Diwali that night and they also informed about the wild elephants. “It was learnt that the deceased tried to chase the elephants entering his paddy field. But it is not confirmed.”

He said the deceased’s son knew that his father was being chased by the elephants but didn’t know whether the elephant killed him.

The gup said that his son and the neighbours went to search the deceased and found him lying in the paddy field. “There were no major injuries on the deceased’s body but he was suspected to have died because of the internal injuries.”

He also said it was also suspected that the elephant has thrown away the deceased because his body was found on the way where the elephants migrate every day. “The gewog administration reported the matter to the Samdrupjongkhar dzongkhag kidu officer.

Tarabir Bista said that they have been helping the farmers in the gewog to chase the elephants entering the paddy fields. “The deceased didn’t inform us and we could have saved him if he has informed us or the neighbours.”

He said that although there is solar fencing to stop the elephants from entering the paddy fields, the gewog administration is also planning to construct a gabion wall.

Meanwhile, this is the third case of elephant attack on human reported in the dzongkhag this year. An elephant killed a man in Pemathang gewog, Samdrupjongkhar in April this year. An elephant attacked a man in Phuntshothang gewog but he was saved.

Kelzang Wangchuk  | Samdrupjongkhar