35-year-old woman trampled to death by jumbo in Sonitpur Dhrubajyoti Malakar, The Times of India October 26, 2024 See link <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/woman-trampled-to-death-by-wild-elephant-in-sonitpur-human-elephant-conflict-escalates/articleshow/114602607.cms> for photo. Guwahati: A 35-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Rangapara area of Sonitpur district’s Chariduar reserve forest on Thursday night. The victim has been identified as Geeta Karmakar. Sonitpur west division DFO Nripendra Nath Kalita told TOI that the area where the incident took place is outside the revenue village. He added that they do not have details yet. The tragedy has once again highlighted the escalating human-elephant conflicts due to shrinking habitat, resulting in such fatalities. The forest official said a vast area of the reserve forest has been encroached for the last two decades and stressed on the need to vacate forest lands to end such incidents. “This incident is a result of encroachment. When humans come in the way of wild animals and obstruct their movement, they will definitely attack. Almost cent per cent of the area in the reserve forest is under encroachment at present. Higher authorities have already been informed about the need to make the reserve forest encroachment-free,” he added. Since 2021, the forest department has prevented fresh encroachment in the forest and has been clearing previously encroached lands in patches, Kalita said. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/woman-trampled-to-death-by-wild-elephant-in-sonitpur-human-elephant-conflict-escalates/articleshow/114602607.cms