Beltangady: A 55-year-old man was killed in a suspected wild elephant attack near Muchchiradka in Rekhya village of Beltangady taluk on Saturday evening. Forest department officials have launched an inquiry after the victim’s body was found in a nearby trench following a search by family members and local residents.

Victim identified

The deceased has been identified as Balakrishna Gowda (55), a resident of Idyalu in Beltangady taluk.

According to sources, Balakrishna Gowda had gone to work as usual on Saturday. He was expected to return home by evening, but when he failed to do so, his family grew concerned and alerted local residents.

A search operation was subsequently launched to trace his whereabouts.

Search leads to grim discovery

During the search, family members and villagers found the plastic raincoat worn by Balakrishna Gowda lying in the middle of the road.

The presence of wild elephant footprints near the spot raised fears that he may have been attacked by a lone elephant while returning home.

The search was intensified in the surrounding area, and the victim was eventually found dead in a nearby trench.

The circumstances at the scene led locals to suspect that the death resulted from a wild elephant attack, although the exact cause is yet to be officially confirmed.

Forest officials inspect spot

Soon after the incident was reported, officials from the Forest Department visited the location and carried out a preliminary inspection.

The department has begun collecting evidence from the scene to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials are expected to verify whether the death was caused by a wild elephant and submit a detailed report after completing their inquiry.

Human-wildlife conflict remains a concern

The incident has once again highlighted the growing concern over human-wildlife conflict in the forest-fringe villages of Beltangady taluk, where encounters between residents and wild elephants have become increasingly common during the monsoon season.

Local residents have repeatedly sought stronger preventive measures, including regular elephant monitoring, early warning systems and improved barriers to prevent wild animals from entering inhabited areas.

Further details regarding the incident are awaited as the Forest Department continues its investigation.