Odisha villagers face a jumbo problem

Herd of 35 elephants has been running amok, devouring paddy & vegetables

June 16, 2019 11:07 pm | Updated 11:07 pm IST - BHUBANESWAR

A file photo of an elephant herd emerging from a forest and entering a village in Odisha.

A file photo of an elephant herd emerging from a forest and entering a village in Odisha.

Villagers along borders of Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha have lost sleep for fear of 35 wild elephants that have been criss-crossing their localities.

Though a dedicated trackers’ team is following the herd that strayed from the Dalma forest in neighbouring Jharkhand, villagers are apprehensive that the jumbos could veer towards their habitation.

No casuality

Elephants in herds usually enter Odisha from Jharkhand and West Bengal during paddy harvesting season. Although no human injury has been reported from Balasore district, elephants have devoured paddy stored in backyards, trampled vegetable crops and fruits. Some thatched houses have also been damaged.

As elephants move during evening hours, the district administration resorted to power cuts in order to prevent jumbos from coming in contact with live wire. It has added to the woes of people residing in the area. In some bordering villages, people are on vigil to ward off elephants.

“We have been keeping tab on the herd. We have received information that the jumbos have entered the Kuldiha Sanctuary on Sunday. Now chances of elephants straying into human habitations have come down,” said Nilagiri forest ranger Sukumar Das.

Elephants that migrate from Jharkhand annually use the forest patches of Nilagiri in Balasore district to enter the Similipal National Park. Sometime, they traverse through thickly populated areas keeping people on their toes.

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