Drunken encounter with wild elephants ends in tragedy for Man in Anuppur district

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Anuppur district, a 55-year-old man named Janardhan Singh lost his life when he approached a herd of wild elephants under the influence of alcohol. Eyewitnesses reported that Singh, allegedly in an inebriated state, ventured too close to the tuskers last Tuesday. Unfortunately, one of the elephants became agitated and attacked him, causing fatal injuries.

The herd of elephants had traveled from Marwahi to the Eucalyptus Plantation in Bachhatola, located in Cholna, Jaithari, within the Anuppur Forest Division. The noticeable presence of these majestic creatures had also drawn a crowd of curious onlookers. Regrettably, Singh's encounter with the elephants ended in tragedy, according to a villager.

Despite the efforts of local authorities, including forest officials and law enforcement personnel, to maintain a safe distance between the villagers and the elephants, the incident could not be prevented. Singh leaves behind a grieving wife and three children. One journalist shared, «The forest and police tried to stop him, but he took another route towards them and got killed.» Three individuals who were with Singh managed to escape the scene.

After the incident, the group of elephants continued their wandering within a 500-meter radius of the area. They were observed feeding on jackfruit, bananas, and various other fruits and trees cultivated in nearby fields and gardens. Janardhan Singh's body remained at the scene until the elephants moved away, allowing authorities to retrieve it.