A 55-year-old man, Balakrishna Gowda, was killed in a suspected wild elephant attack near Muchchiradka in Neladka, Rekhya village of Beltangady taluk, on Saturday evening. His body was discovered in a trench after family members and local residents launched a search when he failed to return home. Elephant footprints found near the site of his discarded raincoat intensified suspicions of an animal attack. Forest department officials have initiated an inquiry into the incident. This event underscores the escalating concern over human-wildlife conflict in areas bordering forests, particularly with instances of encounters between residents and wild elephants becoming more frequent.
The incident occurred in the Beltangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. Balakrishna Gowda, a resident of Idyalu, had gone to work as usual on Saturday and was expected to return in the evening. When he did not, his family became concerned and initiated a search, which was joined by local residents. During the search, his plastic raincoat was found on the roadside, and elephant footprints were observed nearby, leading to fears that he had been attacked by a lone wild elephant while returning home. A subsequent search of the surrounding area led to the discovery of his body in a trench.
Forest department officials visited the scene and conducted a preliminary inspection. They are collecting evidence to ascertain the exact circumstances of the incident and determine if a wild elephant was indeed responsible. The human-wildlife conflict in the forest-fringe villages of Beltangady taluk has been a growing concern, with an increase in encounters between humans and wild elephants.
A similar incident occurred in February 2026, when Kushalappa Gowda, a resident of Pulikukku in Kodimbala village near Uppinangady, was killed in an attack by a wild elephant. His body was found in the Kumaradhara river. Kodimbala village had been experiencing issues with a rogue elephant that had destroyed crops and plantations.
In January 2023, Thimappa, 45, died in an elephant attack in Shiradi, within the Uppinangady Range limits. His son, Sharan, 18, sustained injuries and was hospitalized in Mangaluru. Another incident in June 2018 saw seven people injured when an elephant attacked their van on the Uppinangady-Subramanya highway.
These recurring incidents highlight the challenges faced by communities living in proximity to wildlife habitats and the need for effective measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
