Woman killed, 2 sons hurt in tusker attack in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary

Pilibhit: A 45-year-old woman was killed and her two teenage sons injured after a wild elephant attacked their motorcycle near Tigra crossing on Bichhia-Katarniaghat road inside Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Bahraich district.Forest officials said the incident occurred around 5.30pm on Saturday when Munni Devi, a resident of Paras Purva village in Kheri district, was returning home with her sons — Karan, 17, and Arjun, 15, — after a medical check-up in Mihipurva village.The boys said that the tusker suddenly emerged from the forest and charged at the trio as they slowed their vehicle. They said that the elephant gripped their mother in its trunk and hurled her onto the road. It struck her on the head, killing her on the spot. Commuters managed to drive the animal back into the forest by raising loud noises.Divisional forest officer of Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Apoorv Dixit, confirmed the incident and said the woman and her sons were taken to the nearest community health centre, where doctors declared Munni Devi dead.He said an alert has been issued in the area and field forest teams have been deployed to monitor and track the tusker's movements. "The case will be referred to the state administration for compensation of Rs 5 lakh — including Rs 4 lakh from the state disaster relief fund and Rs 1 lakh from the forest department — to the legal heir of the deceased," he added.Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of the Terai Elephant Reserve spanning 3,049 sq km, is home to around 150 wild elephants, many of which migrated from Nepal. The sanctuary forms a crucial corridor linking Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and South Kheri forest division.