Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)
Mysuru, Mar 4: A senior IFS officer was killed by a lone tusker inside a dense forest area within Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Saturday March 3. The sad part is that the incident happened on World Wildlife Day, and the forest department lost an honest and efficient officer.
Senior IFS officer, S Manikantan (46), who was forest conservator and director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve forest area was on duty when a tusker attacked him unexpectedly. The incident happened inside Kakanakote forest area in D B Kuppa Balle wildlife division in H D Kote taluk.
There have often been instances of people and staff of forest department losing lives or getting injured in elephant attacks. For the first time in the history of the forest department of Karnataka, a senior IFS officer has lost his life in similar incident.
On Friday, some forest area adjacent to Kabini backwaters in D B Kuppe zone had been destroyed in fire. The forest department staff had successfully doused the flames. Manikantan had undertaken spot visit to investigate the incident. He reached Balle range office at 11 am and accompanied range forest officer, Subrahmanya and other staff to undertake spot inspection.
He arrived at the affected area at 1 pm and inspected the spot that was consumed by fire. Already over 15 personnel were working there. After undertaking visit and checking GPS location, he was walking along with over ten forest staff through a pathway near Katikunte pond near Kakanakote beat, a rogue elephant that was hiding behind the bushes confronted the men all of a sudden. The staff, surprised by this attack, ran helter-skelter. Subrahmanya fell down in an effort to escape. The elephant left him alone, and targetted Manikantan who was running ahead, placed its foot on Manikantan's body and also gored him with its tusks.
Manikantan suffered extensive injuries to his throat, chest and ears. The staff who had scattered out of fear raised an alarm at which the elephant went away. The staff carried seriously injured officer, who was profusely bleeding and unconscious, to the general hospital at Heggadadevana Kote but the officer breathed his last before reaching the hospital.
Range forest officer, Subrahmanya, escaped with minor injuries. Doctor of the hospital, Dr Bhaskar, who conducted postmotem, said that Manikantan had suffered deep injuries to his ears, throat and chest and on account of breathing problems, he had died before being brought to the hospital.
The deceased officer's wife, Sangeetha and other members reached the spot at around 8 pm.