Deogarh: A 55-year-old farmer was found dead in a forest under Kundheigola Forest Section of the Reamal forest range Thursday, with forest officials suspecting an elephant attack as the cause of death.
The deceased was identified as Prafulla Behera, a resident of Chadheimara village.
According to officials, Behera had gone to a nearby forest Wednesday afternoon but did not return home. Concerned family members searched for him at various locations but were unable to trace him.
As several elephants were spotted roaming in the Chadheimara forest area, villagers feared an untoward incident and sought assistance from the Forest Department.
A joint search operation by forest personnel and villagers Thursday led to the discovery of Behera’s mutilated body inside the forest.
Forest officials recovered the body and initiated procedures to send it for postmortem examination.
