4 forest department personnel wounded in elephant attack in Odisha's Ganjam

A tusker attacked and injured four forest department personnel while they were trying to drive away a herd of elephant in a forest range in Ganjam district of Odisha, officials said Wednesday. The incident occurred near Talapada under Digaphandi forest range where a herd of eight elephants was roaming.

A 9-year-old tusker died on Sunday in a fight with another elephant, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Berhampur, A K Behera, said. The herd now has only one tusker which became violent and attacked the forest department staff, he said.

The injured were admitted to the community health centre at Digaphandi after the incident that took place Tuesday night. The jumbos were in Changudidei forest for the last several months due to the availability of abundant food, officials said.

Local people urged the forest officials to drive away the elephants as the herd have been destroying standing crops as well as harvested paddy.