A wild tusker today trampled to death a 40-year-old man close to Itamarwah village under the limits of Sankrail police station in the district of West Midnapore, a senior forest department official said.
Tapan Mahato (40) was on his way home in Itamarwah village on a motorcycle when he was attacked by two wild elephants in the jungles of Mangnishole, said DFO kharagpur forest division, Anjan Guha.
"One of the elephants, believed to be straying away from its herd, attacked Mahato and flung him off from his motorcycle. It was close to the Itamarwah village, but by the time villagers and forest department officials reached the spot on hearing his cries, he was badly wounded," said Guha.
The DFO said Mahato was rushed to Midnapore Medical College, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile, forest department officials said a herd of 33 elephants, which had crossed the Subarnarekha River from the Dalma Range to Chandabila forest range in the district and had come up to Nayagram area late last night.
Forest guards and department officials have pushed the herd back to Chandabila and efforts were on to push the elephants back to Dalma range in an effort to protect the cultivated land in the area, said a senior forest department officer.
