Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today described Manikandan, an IFS officer killed by a tusker in Karnataka on Saturday, as a conscientious and honest official.
In a condolence meeting at the environment ministry, he said the forest officer had an "illustrious" career and expressed his condolence to the bereaved family.
The minister said that words were not enough to express condolences to the members of the bereaved family.
"Manikandan had an illustrious career," he said.
The 45-year old IFS officer passed away following an attack by a wild elephant in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve on March 3. The incident took place while he was conducting a survey in D B Kuppe Forest Range.
Manikandan, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the 2001 batch, was the Conservator of Forests and Director of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.
He is survived by his wife, daughter and son.
Union environment secretary C K Mishra said in Manikandan's demise, the ministry has lost a dear colleague and a friend.
"Our heart goes out to the members of the bereaved family," Mishra said.
The condolence message on behalf of the IFS association was also read out and a two-minute silence was observed in the officer's memory.
Prakriti Srivastava, Country Director, WCS India Program, also condoled the death of the officer
"Our deepest condolences are with the bereaved family and friends of Manikandan. Forest department personnel often have to brave difficult hardships while on duty, especially when they are posted in such sensitive areas.
"Sometimes, this may result in them suffering severe injuries due to unexpected interactions with wild animals, or in rare cases, result in the loss of human life and Manikandans demise is one such sad incident. We are anguished to have lost a devoted forest officer," Srivastava said in a seperate statement.
He added that the WCS stands by the family and friends of Manikandan during these difficult times.
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