Cuttack, May 29: The Wildlife Society of Odisha has expressed concern over increasing forays of elephants into mango-growing areas in the state causing death of six persons since May 21.

The jumbos in the forest areas of Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Rayagada and Nayagarh districts have also injured five persons.

The society has urged the forest and environment department's principal secretary to take note of the alarming trend of jumbo attacks and initiate steps to prevent further loss of human lives.

In a memorandum, society secretary Biswajit Mohanty said: "The situation warrants mitigation measures by the forest department."

"The mango season has attracted elephants to mango orchards in the forest areas. This is resulting in man-elephant confrontation, especially during morning hours. The majority of such incidents took place in the morning when people were collecting mangoes," Mohanty said.

The wildlife body wants the divisional forest officers to make public announcement on loudspeakers at villages near the forests, where elephants are attacking people. "They should warn people not to venture into mango orchards in early morning and watch out for elephants," Mohanty said.

According to the wildlife society memorandum, Sulochana Nayak, 50, was killed near Jamunali in the Chandipanda forest range of Angul district when she had gone into a mango orchard to collect mangoes on May 22. The next day, Bita Sahu, 60, was killed when she was collecting mangoes at Matigada near Balanga under the Batala forest range in the same district.

On May 23, Marshal Soren, 70, was killed near mango trees off Murgabari under the Padiabahal forest range in Sambalpur district. On May 26, Sudarshan Dehury, 66, was killed in Angul district's Chendipada forest range when he was collecting mangoes near Basantapurh. On the same day, Tarinisen Bhatta, 58, was killed while he was collecting mangoes off Gundurigoda near the Muniguda forest range in Rayagada district.

On May 27, Chaina Behera, 40, was killed while collecting mangoes near Guagharia in the Hindol forest range in Dhenkanal district.

Among those injured in elephant attacks included Chakadi Sahu, Dambarudhar Dehury, Bibhuti Nayak, Satyabadi Patnaik and an unidentified woman.