Woodpicker trampled to death by elephants

Siliguri, Feb 7 (UNI) A 58-year-old woodpicker was today trampled to death by a herd of elephants in the reserved forest of Baikantapur, at the outskirt of this commercial town, forest official said.

An attempt to recover his body failed as the Jumbos in the forest refused to let the forest guards go near the body, Baikantapur's Forest Divisional Officer A K Samanta said.

He said Murari Chandra Pal, a resident of Telipara, had gone to collect wood in the morning. When he did not return, a search by the forest guards and family members found the mutilated body of Murari surrounded by the pachyderms.

Mr Samanta said they would make another attempt tomorrow to recover the body.

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