Wildlife Institute: WII member injured in elephant attack in Jharkhand, team had arrived to conduct survey

Elephant (indicative picture).
– Photo: Amar Ujala

A member of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) survey team was injured in an elephant attack in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district. Swastik Pritam, 25, and three other team members were photographing a herd of 11 elephants in the Gangahar forest in the Chauparan area, about 160 km from Ranchi.

Barhi Sub-Divisional Police Officer Nazir Akhtar said that as per the instructions of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the team had come to the area to survey the forest area. The team is preparing a report on the nature and wildlife of the forest. He said the survey team got information about the herd of elephants and went close to the herd without informing the forest officials. He was taking pictures of elephants. Forest range officer Rahul Kumar said that seeing the WII team clicking pictures, an elephant got irritated and ran towards them. Three of the four managed to escape, but Pritam, a resident of New Delhi, hid behind a bush. The elephant saw them.

He said that the elephant picked him up with its trunk and threw him on the ground, due to which he suffered injuries. He said that Pritam had sustained injuries on his neck and shoulder. He has been admitted to Hazaribagh Medical College and Hospital for treatment, where his condition is said to be stable.

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A member of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) survey team was injured in an elephant attack in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district. Swastik Pritam, 25, and three other team members were photographing a herd of 11 elephants in the Gangahar forest in the Chauparan area, about 160 km from Ranchi.

Barhi Sub-Divisional Police Officer Nazir Akhtar said that as per the instructions of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the team had come to the area to survey the forest area. The team is preparing a report on the nature and wildlife of the forest. He said the survey team got information about the herd of elephants and went close to the herd without informing the forest officials. He was taking pictures of elephants. Forest range officer Rahul Kumar said that seeing the WII team clicking pictures, an elephant got irritated and ran towards them. Three of the four managed to escape, but Pritam, a resident of New Delhi, hid behind a bush. The elephant saw them.

He said that the elephant picked him up with its trunk and threw him on the ground, due to which he suffered injuries. He said that Pritam had sustained injuries on his neck and shoulder. He has been admitted to Hazaribagh Medical College and Hospital for treatment, where his condition is said to be stable.