Guwahati, May 15 (IANS) Two persons lost their lives in separate incidents of wild elephant attacks in Assam’s Nagaon district on Friday, once again highlighting the growing human-elephant conflict in several parts of the state, officials said.

According to local sources, the first incident took place at Bajiagaon in Samaguri, where a wild elephant attacked a man identified as Shariful Islam while he was working in a vegetable field. The elephant reportedly emerged from a nearby forested area and attacked the victim suddenly, leaving him critically injured. Local residents rushed him for medical assistance, but he succumbed to his injuries.

In another incident reported from the same Samaguri area, a youth identified as Pranab Das was seriously injured in a wild elephant attack. He was admitted to a hospital in critical condition but later died during treatment, officials said.

The incidents triggered panic among villagers in the region, with residents alleging that wild elephants frequently enter human habitations and agricultural fields in search of food.

Forest department officials reached the affected areas and launched efforts to monitor elephant movement.

Authorities have also appealed to villagers to remain alert and avoid venturing alone into forest fringe areas during evening and early morning hours.

Assam has witnessed a sharp rise in man-elephant conflict over the years due to habitat loss, deforestation, shrinking forest corridors, and increasing human encroachment near elephant habitats.

Several districts, including Nagaon, Goalpara, Sonitpur, Udalguri, Golaghat, and Baksa, regularly report incidents of crop damage, attacks on villagers, and elephant deaths.

Environmental experts have repeatedly stressed the need for scientific management of elephant corridors and better coordination between forest officials and local communities to minimise such conflicts.

According to forest department data, both human casualties and elephant deaths linked to conflict situations remain a major concern in Assam.

During paddy cultivation and harvesting seasons, incidents of elephants entering villages tend to rise significantly.

Meanwhile, local residents in Samaguri demanded stronger preventive measures from the authorities, including regular patrolling and installation of barriers in vulnerable areas to prevent further loss of lives.

–IANS

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