Man Killed in Elephant Attack, MLA Calls for Permanent Measures

A 55-year-old person was killed in a wild elephant attack near Muchiradka, of Belthangady taluk, about 80 km from Manglauru, on Saturday evening. The victim has been identified as Balakrishna Gowda, a resident of Idmalu.

According to sources, Balakrishna who had gone to work did not return home till late in the evening. The concerned family members along with villagers launched a search.

During the search, they found his plastic raincoat and cap lying torn on a pathway. Elephant footprints were also noticed nearby, strengthening the suspicion of a wild elephant attack. A subsequent search carried out by local residents with the assistance of the Forest Department led to the recovery of Balakrishna's body from a nearby place.

Forest and police officials visited the spot on Sunday.

MLA Harish Poonja who visited the bereaved family expressed condolences.

The first instalment of the compensation was handed over to the family. Interacting with the people, the MLA said incidents of human-elephant conflict had increased in the region and called for permanent measures to address the problem.