A tea garden worker was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Merry View tea estate located in Naxalbari block of Siliguri sub-division in Siliguri on Saturday morning.

Harikishan, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Kurseong forest division, said Kamloo Oraon, 53, had gone out of his quarter around 5.30am to answer the call of nature when the wild elephant attacked and trampled him to death.

Harikishan said the elephant had come out of the adjoining Bengdubi forest.

Local residents said elephants enter their tea garden regularly in search of fodder.

“Elephant herds stray into the estate area and damage hutments and crops before harvest. We want the state forest department to be more active in preventing the animals from entering the garden,” said a worker.

Foresters, however, maintained that their teams constantly work in the region to deter elephants from foraying into the tea estates on the fringes of the forest stretches.

“The victim’s family will be paid a compensation of Rs 5 lakh according to the state government’s guidelines,” the DFO said.