Himal Press 
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MORANG: One individual died in a wild elephant attack in Morang earlier this week.
According to DSP Bed Prakash Joshi, the spokesperson for the District Police Office Morang, Man Bahadur Iwahang Limbu (43) died on the spot when the wild tusker attacked him at Kopila Community Forest near his house.
In a separate incident, Laxmi Bogati of Belbari-11 was injured in a wild elephant attack on March 8 while collecting firewood at the Laxmi Community Forest. Although Bogati managed to escape to safety, she suffered a broken arm and other injuries, says Sujay Gautam, chairperson of the Laxmi Community Forest Users Group.
According to the Division Forest Office, Morang, 16 people have lost their lives due to elephant attacks since 2011. Likewise, nine wild elephants have died during the period, according to Ghanshyam Yadav, a forest officer at the Division Forest Office. “Of these, four elephants died of natural causes, two due to smuggling and poaching, one from gunfire, one from electrocution and one from unknown reasons,” he added.
Gautam said that human-elephant conflicts have increased along the East-West Highway section in Morang since last year.
“Every night, wild elephants enter the settlements, causing panic among residents and destroying crops, leaving farmers distressed,” Hari Prasad Mishra from Kakum in Belbari-4, said. He added that elephants, which reside in the forest during the day, often enter human settlements in search of food after dusk. “The fear of wild elephants destroying homes, crops and attacking people has forced locals to stay awake throughout the night,” he added.
In response to the increasing encroachment of wild elephants into human settlements, the Division Forest Office has initiated the “One Community Forest, One Conservation Pond” program under the Provincial Forest Development and Management Program. Ponds are being dug in forest areas to provide water for the elephants.
Likewise, the Division Forest Office has also planted fruit-bearing trees across approximately 157.8 hectares of forest land to prevent elephants from entering settlements. Species such as bel (wood apple), amala (Indian goose berry), jack fruit, monkey jack, custard apple, mulberry and guava, among others, have been planted in the forest areas.
(Translated from RSS)
