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© Moorthy Gounder/ Wikimedia CommonsPrime elephant habitat consists of forested areas
A forest staff has been killed by wild elephant inside the Bandipur tiger reserve on Friday night.

Lokesh (38), a resident of Mukti Colony in Gundulpet in Chamarajnagar district, was patrolling the forest area deep inside the tiger sanctuary when he was attacked. He died on the spot, Bandipur tiger reserve director H C Kantharaju said.

The forest department is planning to extend Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased like for others who are killed by the wild animals.

Lokesh, a guard with eight years experience, was patrolling in Kamapura area along with another ground staff. He excused himself to attend nature's call at around 7 pm when his colleagues went ahead. When he didn't join them after a lapse of some 20 minutes, they came back to search him and found him dead. The injuries on him and the movement of the wild elephants established that he was killed by the pachyderms. Kantharaju told The Sunday Times of India that Lokesh was found dead at the spot. He was a permanent employee and has three daughters, the eldest studying in SSLC.

Earlier, he was serving at Gundre range in Bandipur and was shifted to Yediyala range three years back. It is suspected that the elephant attacked him as it was dark and he failed to escape from it. This is second incident of a forest staff killed while on duty in the area in recent times. In December last, B Suresh, a watcher, was mauled by the tiger in Nagarahole.

Incidentally Lokesh was married to daughter of Javaraiah, who was mauled by tiger in Maddur range in Bandipur two months back. Police visited the site and conducted the mahazar. A case has been registered in H D Kote police station.