Tranquillised jumbo wakes up, leave 5 forest officials injured

At least five forest personnel including two from Karnataka, were injured when a wild elephant which was tranquillised to fit a radio collar on its body, suddenly woke up and attacked them in Khurda district on Monday, a top official said.

The incident happened near Gayabandha village under Jankia police station limits in Khurda district.

"When the forest officials went close to the elephant named 'Ramu' which was tranquillised to fit a radio collar on its body, it suddenly woke up and attacked them leaving the officials injured," PCCF (principal chief conservator of forest) (Wildlife) Sashi Paul told PTI.

Of the five injured forest officials, two were attacked by the jumbo while the others sustained injuries while running away from the animal, the official said.

The injured forest officials were admitted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. Four of the injured were released after preliminary treatment while one forest guard was undergoing treatment as he sustained grievous injury, the official said.

The Odisha government has planned to fit radio collar on the body of "problematic" elephants to monitor their movements and had invited two wildlife tranquillizer experts from Bengaluru to the state to help the local forest officials to fit radio collar on some jumbos, the official said.

The jumbo named “Ramu” along with a herd of about 30 elephants have been creating havoc in Khurda and Tangi forest divisions for some days.

After this incident, the forest department has put on hold its programme to fit radio collar on seven 'problematic' elephants across the state.

While four jumbos in Similipal National Park were identified for radio collar, one elephant each in Chandaka, Tangi and Dhenkanal forest ranges were also identified as “problematic,” Paul said.

These elephants have records of causing damage to the lives and properties of people in different areas in the state.

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