Boko, Dec 3: The escalating conflict between humans and elephants in Assam’s West Kamrup and Goalpara districts has taken a grim turn, with multiple elephant deaths and a recent human fatality highlighting the severity of the issue.
On Monday morning, the carcass of a female elephant was discovered in a paddy field under the Bondapara Forest Range near Hasi-Muhipara village. Local villagers immediately informed the forest department, and Range Officer Animesh Kalita and his team launched an investigation. Initial veterinary reports suggest the elephant, which was pregnant, died of electrocution. However, residents allege the death was linked to the illegal encroachment of reserve forests and the widespread use of unauthorized electric fencing to protect crops.
“The elephant was part of a herd of 40-50, and since its death, the herd has been seen roaming within a kilometer of the carcass,” said a local villager.
Arabinda Rabha, a resident of Bondapara, attributed the growing conflict to illegal encroachment in reserve forest areas. Meanwhile, other villagers from Boko accused smugglers of disturbing elephant habitats by mining forest lands at night, using heavy machinery. “These activities are scaring the elephants, forcing them into villages and paddy fields,” one anonymous villager claimed.
The rising tension reached a tragic peak on Sunday when Prafulla Rabha (45) of Belguri village, Rani, was trampled to death by a wild elephant. Prafulla and his son, Bhabesh, were walking to their paddy field when the elephant, believed to have come from the Meghalaya hills, attacked. Bhabesh narrowly escaped, but his father succumbed to his injuries despite being rushed to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH).
Residents of Rani, near Assam’s capital, Guwahati, have endured two decades of man-elephant conflict, with repeated fatalities and crop destruction leaving the community in fear.
