The huts damaged at Chhotafapri on the outskirts of Siliguri on Monday. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, Jan. 25: Officials of the Baikunthapur forest division today recommended to their superiors in Calcutta to declare an elephant “rogue” to stop the animal’s killing spree in the fringe villages.

Once an elephant is declared rogue, the foresters can either shift it to a forest far from human habitation or can kill the animal.

The elephant has killed six persons, destroyed 40 huts and damaged crops on more than 70 bighas in the past three-four months. Millanpally, Dakuapara, Maharajghat, Birenbusty, Takimari, Lalitabari and Nawgharia are some of the worst affected villages under the Belakoba and the Ambari range of the Baikunthapur forest division in Jalpaiguri district.

Two persons were trampled to death by the animal in the past 24 hours. Chhottu Sarkar, a 55-year-old resident of Chhotafapri under Dabgram range, was killed early today, while an unidentified person lost his life at Simulguri under Ambari range last evening. On October 15, the elephant had killed three women at Birenbusty.

“We took the decision yesterday evening that the elephant in the Baikunthapur forest division should be declared a rogue. It has terrorised the forest villagers for the past three-four months and has killed six persons so far. The animal has also damaged several huts, acres of crops, causing inconvenience to the villagers as well as our men,” said K. Balamurugan, the divisional forest officer of Baikunthapur, today. “Considering the extent of loss of life and damage to property by the animal, we have sent a report to the chief wildlife warden of the state with the recommendation.”

An elephant can be declared rogue by senior forest department officials in Calcutta following recommendations from lower levels on the abnormal behaviour of the animal which includes attacking and killing human beings and damaging property and crops.

After yesterday’s incident, the foresters had a meeting convened by Manindra Chandra Biswas, the conservator of forest (north Bengal), at Odlabari. “There we decided that a detail report on the recent attack and damage done by the animal will be sent to higher officials with the recommendation to declare the elephant a rogue,” the DFO said.

Balamurugan described the animal as full-grown and around 10ft high with a slightly slanting back. “It has two small tusks and is a loner. Its nature, as has been found during its raids, is quite abnormal. Whenever our employees chase the animal and flash search lights, it attacks them instead of running into forest,” he said. The villagers have also asked the foresters to put an end to the menace. “They should either kill the elephant or set up electric fences surrounding the villages to prevent it from entering our areas,” said Anukul Gayen, a member of the Mantadari gram panchayat in Rajganj block. Birenbusty and Lalitabari fall under the gram panchayat.

Animesh Bose, the programme coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, an NGO, said the foresters should immediate set up a permanent elephant squad at Baikunthapur.