NAGPUR: A man was trampled to death while attempting to take a selfie with the elephant (CME3) in the wild near Aabapur village in Kunghada forest under Gadchiroli range on Thursday.
The victim, identified as Shashikant Ramchandra Satre (23), from Chamorshi, is an electrician by profession. Satre is the seventh victim of CME3.

Satre was busy with some electrical work when he learned about elephant movement in the forest.He ventured 600 metres deep into compartment number 14 in Muntur beat in Kunghada to take a selfie with the animal when he was attacked. As per records, CME3 is a huge and aggressive tusker which has entered Gadchiroli from neighbouring Chhattisgarh for the second time.
Maharashtra PCCF (Wildlife) Vivek Khandekar said, "We've already informed nearby villages to take precautions and posted forest staff in each village. Our field staff, along with the Rapid Rescue Team (RRT), are already active in the area and informing the locals about the presence of wild elephants and dos and don'ts while dealing with them."
"Precautions are being followed in these villages, and forest staff are encouraging the villagers not to enter the forest. The Gadchiroli forest officials already issued an alert following the entry of CME3 in Chambharda village on the night of October 21," said Khandekar.
The CME3 seems to be smart, as neither the locals nor the forest department personnel were aware of its entry from Chhattisgarh. According to experts, the tusker seems to have entered the district to interact with a herd of 26 elephants already moving in the Wadsa forest division.
Milesh Dutt Sharma, the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DyCF) in Gadchiroli, said two teams are monitoring the tusker's movements. Given the elephant's history of attacks, the forest department is not attempting to drive it out or disturb its natural movement. They are also tracking the animal using drones to ensure the safety of the locals.
Villagers have been advised to remain vigilant and avoid areas where the elephant has been sighted. They have also been instructed to report any sightings of the elephant to the authorities immediately so that appropriate action can be taken to prevent further incidents.
Locals have been warned not to approach the animal to capture videos or photographs, and announcements are being made in villages to stay alert. The current situation is particularly crucial as all the agricultural fields have standing paddy crops, and harvesting is set to begin next month.
Sagnik Sengupta, founder of Stripes And Green Earth (SAGE) Foundation, an NGO working for elephant conservation and collaborating with the forest department, believes that if CME3 is disturbed, it could create havoc.
The tusker has been expanding its territory from Gariyaband in Chhattisgarh to Gadchiroli and even Kagaznagar in Telangana. Although CME3's aggressive behaviour has been a cause for concern, Sengupta argues that it cannot be labelled as a problem animal. He explains that tuskers have longer migratory patterns compared to herds, and conflicts are more likely to occur due to lone tuskers.
The Maharashtra Forest Department needs a long-term plan for elephant conservation as these jumbos have become residents of Gadchiroli. There is a need for the forest department to develop a comprehensive strategy to protect both the elephants and the local communities.