title: Human fatalities from wild elephant attacks--a study of fourteen cases.
abstract: Human-wild elephant conflicts are frequently reported from various parts of the country. Encroaching of animal habitat by human civilization is a primary reason for this. The present study comprises of fourteen autopsy cases conducted at the department of Forensic Medicine, B.S Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India over a period of three years. The study attempts to find out the nature of injuries caused by wild elephant attack and the common factors contributing to human-wild elephant conflict so that vulnerable population can be cautioned to avoid conflicts. A distinct seasonal as well as diurnal variation of attack incidences was noted. Attacks were sudden and unprovoked. Killer elephants were wild tuskers in all the cases. Victims were from the low socioeconomic group and the cause of death was due to trampling on the vital organs like chest and head.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic and State Medicine, Bankura Sammilani Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India. dasdrsobhank@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sobhan Kr
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D004606:Elephants; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*