Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, Aug 2: In a tragic incident, a 55-year-old man lost his life in a suspected wild elephant attack on Saturday, August 1 evening at Muchchiradka near Neladka in Rekhya village of Beltangady taluk.

The deceased has been identified as Balakrishna Gowda (55), a resident of Idyalu.

According to sources, Balakrishna Gowda had gone to work as usual on Saturday. It is suspected that he was attacked by a lone wild elephant while he was returning home in the evening. When he failed to return home even after dusk, his anxious family members and locals launched a search operation.

During the search, the plastic raincoat he was wearing was found lying in the middle of the road. The discovery of wild elephant footprints nearby further strengthened the suspicion of an animal attack. Upon conducting a thorough search of the surrounding areas, the locals discovered Balakrishna Gowda's lifeless body in a nearby trench.

Following the incident, forest department officials visited the spot and conducted a preliminary inspection.

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.