The dead makna. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, March 9: A bit of “girl trouble” has ended the life of a makna (male elephant without tusks) in Buxa Tiger Reserve.

Late last night, a tusker from the reserve chased the makna, its rival in love, to a field of yam and wounded and killed it in a two-hour fight in front of shocked villagers and forest officials.

“We are quite sure that the tusker and the makna were in love with the same she-elephant of the herd, which resulted in the fight,” said L.G. Lepcha, the field director of the reserve. “A tusker will never tolerate a male rival showering affection on its favourite she-elephant.”

The post-mortem report showed at least 30 injury marks on the body of the dead elephant, added Lepcha.

Forest workers in Compartments 1 and 5 of the West Poro beat had sensed trouble in the evening when they heard the two elephants fighting. Around 10pm, the makna started running away from the forest and entered a paddy field in the Domohoni area.

“By the time the makna reached my yam field, it slipped and fell and the tusker caught up with it,” said Laloo Oraon, who was among the 200 or so villagers who stood and watched. “The tusker got hold of the makna’s tail and started hitting it with its tusk. It continued doing so even after the makna had stopped moving.”

The foresters, who had been following the elephants, tried to scare the tusker away by bursting crackers, but to no avail. By 12.40, the makna was dead, a stone’s throw from the Poro beat office.

Veterinary officers conducted the post-mortem today.