In a horrific incident highlighting the dangers of human-wildlife conflict, a 47-year-old woman was brutally killed by a herd of wild elephants in a forested area along the border of Nepal and Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district. The victim's body, partially consumed by wild animals, was recovered nearly 15 hours after the fatal attack.
A Sudden and Fatal Ambush
The victim, identified as Balika Sen from village No. 10 Karmohani Rajapur in Nepal, was returning from agricultural work on Wednesday evening. According to reports from women who were accompanying her, the group was near the Katarniaghat forest area bordering Nepal when a herd of elephants suddenly emerged from dense bushes.
As the elephants crossed their path, Balika Sen found herself surrounded. Eyewitnesses stated that the elephants lifted her with their trunks and slammed her to the ground multiple times, killing her on the spot. The other women, witnessing the terrifying attack, fled the scene to save their own lives.
The Grisly Discovery and Investigation
After the elephant herd moved on, the tragedy took another grim turn. Under the cover of darkness, some wild animal dragged the body away. Villagers who launched a search operation at night after receiving information were unable to locate her.
It was only on Thursday morning that the woman's remains were finally recovered from the Katarniaghat forest area in Nepal. The scene was gruesome: her face and one hand were missing, and no clothes were found on the body. While villagers initially suspected a tiger might have scavenged the remains, forest officials denied this claim.
Officials clarified that no tiger pugmarks were found at the site and suggested that the body was likely eaten by some other wild animal after the elephant attack.
Rising Conflict and Official Response
This tragic event is not an isolated case in the region. In a separate recent incident, Shambhu Kumar from Ambedkar Nagar village was injured in an elephant attack and is currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Prior to that, Ram Bahadur, a resident of Chaukda village, was trampled to death by an elephant.
Reacting to the latest killing, Katarniaghat DFO Suraj Kumar stated that wildlife movement in the Katarniaghat forest is constant and that special monitoring is being conducted on elephant movements. Authorities have repeatedly advised villagers not to venture towards forest areas, especially during dusk and dawn.
Since the incident occurred on Nepalese territory, Sujauli Station House Officer (SHO) Prakash Chandra Sharma confirmed that the body has been taken over by Nepal Police, and all further legal action is being carried out by Nepalese authorities.
