A resident of Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district died in an elephant attack early on Sunday.

Minu Oraon, 58, of Mourijote in Hatighisa under Naxalbari police station had gone out to attend nature’s call when a wild elephant who had come into the locality from adjoining Bagdogra forest attacked him.

“The elephant gave him a chase and trampled him to death,” said an official of the Kurseong forest division.

He added that a herd of around 100 elephants is currently wandering in the forests of Bagdogra and Naxalbari.

“Every night, elephants enter villages on the fringes of the forests. We are working to steer the animals back into the forests. The residents have received searchlights and crackers to thwart the elephants. Despite such preventive steps, the unfortunate incident happened,” the forester added.

Foresters assured his family that they would receive cash compensation of Rs 5 lakh according to government rules.

A member of his family will also get a job in the state forest department.

In the current year, this is the eighth incident in Kurseong forest division when a person died in an elephant attack.

“Elephants often enter fields to devour paddy. We try to prevent the herds by bursting crackers and using searchlights. It works occasionally, but sometimes elephants don't retreat but move in further and attack people. This happened today (Sunday)” said a resident of Mourijote.