A young man named Hemant Kumar Jena, from Purnachandrapur village, fell victim to a wild elephant attack late on Monday night.
The tragic event unfolded at approximately 9:40 PM when Hemant encountered an elephant feeding on paddy crops in the fields near his village.
According to local reports, a herd of 18 elephants had migrated from neighbouring Jharkhand in search of food, taking refuge in the Amarda forest area of Mayurbhanj district. The elephants often venture out to agricultural fields at night, creating an ongoing conflict between humans and wildlife.
Tragically, Hemant was caught in the path of one such elephant and was fatally trampled on the spot. The incident underscores the growing tension and challenges posed by human-elephant conflicts in the region, highlighting the urgent need for effective measures to mitigate such encounters.