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Two elephants return to Lakhari reserve

BERHAMPUR: Two wild elephants returned to the Lakhari elephant reserve from Andhra Pradesh under ‘Operation Gajendra’ on Sunday afternoon.

These are two female elephants from the herd of nine stray elephants from Lakhari forest that had created havoc in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh during the past few months. This herd of wild elephants had killed six persons in Gajapati and Rayagada districts of Orissa before entering Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh they had killed 10 persons. Although initially it was thought that this herd had around 11 elephants now it has nine elephants in it, that have been targeted to be returned to Lakhari.

Through a joint operation of both States these elephants are being returned to their original abode in phased manner.

The Gajapati district administration, police and forest department are jointly monitoring this return of wild elephants.

The Berhampur Conservator of Forests, the Gajapati Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Gajapati district and a team of veterinary surgeons are monitoring this process along with other officials. According to ADM Gunanidhi Jena, the trucks carrying the two female elephants, which were tranquilised in Andhra Pradesh two days ago reached Gajapati district via Gunupur in Rayagada district.

Two platoons of armed police accompanied the trucks carrying the elephants. The elephants entered the limits of Lakhari forest at around 3.30 pm.

They were carried to the heart of the jungle to be released at around 5.30 pm.

Mr Jena said on Monday that two more elephants of the herd would reach Lakhari from Andhra Pradesh. They would also be tranquilised and carried back. “Within next four days all the nine elephants of the herd that had strayed out of their forest limits into Andhra Pradesh would get back,” he said.

On Monday the Gajapati district administration called up a high-level meeting of administrative, police and forest officials to chalk out a plan so that wild elephants do not stray out of Lakhari forest and harm humans and attack villages.

As the elephants were tranquilised and carried to Lakhari, extra watch is being kept so that they do not try to get closer to human habitat again. It is suspected that long travel in tranquilised state may have affected their psyche. Moreover attempts are also being made to regroup the whole herd although they would be reaching the forest in batches.

A group of forest labourers and forest officials are ready with crackers and torches to keep away the released elephants trying to get towards the human habitat again.

Two platoons of armed police are ready at Lakhari forest to help the forest officials and to keep gullible spectators away.

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