Israeli killed by elephant in Nepal

The Israeli volunteer at a local hospital was found dead in a forest near the Chitwan national park.

 An African elephant. (photo credit: PIXABAY)
An African elephant.
(photo credit: PIXABAY)

An Israeli doctor in his 30s was killed in an elephant attack on Friday in Nepal's Chitwan National Park.

Shmuel Buikner's body was found lying in the forest and he was identified with the help of the driver's license found on him.

The incident took place near the town of Sauraha, which is near the Chitwan National Park. Travelers from all over the world come to the place to experience close contact with elephants.

A volunteer at a local hospital

Buickner, a specialist from the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, stayed in Nepal with an Israeli delegation to volunteer at a local hospital.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry is familiar with the event. The Israeli consul at the embassy in Kathmandu, Dana Fisher, and Tal Bluygrund from the department for Israelis abroad are in contact with the family and are assisting in the arrangements for the transfer of the casket to Israel.

According to reports in Nepal, the incident took place on Friday at 12:30 p.m., only 600 meters from the park administration. The identity of the elephant, Govinda Basauraha, is also known to the authorities.

 Himalayan glacier and Nangpa La border pass to Nepal in the distance.  (credit: Erik Törner/FLICKR)
Himalayan glacier and Nangpa La border pass to Nepal in the distance. (credit: Erik Törner/FLICKR)

Nepalese officials claimed that the Israeli tourist entered the park alone without taking a ticket and it was reported that another investigation is underway.

Fatal encounters between elephants and other wild animals and humans are not uncommon in Nepal.

Kathmandu Post reported on another man, a local laborer who worked sweeping roads, who was killed recently by an elephant attack near his house.

Locals blocked a main road in protest against the authorities and demanded that the deadly elephant be moved to another place and take responsibility for the problem of wild animals that threaten their peaceful lives.

They demanded proper compensation for the victim's family and refused to collect his body from the hospital until their demands were met.

According to Nepali reports, eight people have been killed due to wild animal attacks in the Chitwan National Park in the last six months. Among them, two people died due to elephant attacks.

A 64-year-old woman was killed in an elephant attack in the national park just a few days ago, while a 70-year-old woman died in the metropolitan city of Hartpur last month due to an elephant attack.