Other States - Orissa   

Elephant herd driven into Barbara jungle

BERHAMPUR: The stray herd of wild elephants from Chandaka elephant sanctuary that had created panic in areas of Ganjam district could be driven into the dense Barbara jungle by Sunday morning.

Before getting shooed into Barbara jungle they were moving too close to Khallikote town panicking its inhabitants. They had also damaged cashew orchards, standing crop and harvested crop at several villages. According to the Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), A.K.Jena, a team of expert elephant trackers from Chandaka elephant sanctuary played a major role in driving this elephant herd into the Barbara jungle. The herd has 17 elephants, including one tusker, two young males, two baby elephants and 12 females.

The Barbara jungle is a dense teak wood jungle having ample amount of water sources including the reservoir near Salia Dam. It is also connected to other dense forests. So, the forest officials have the confidence that the herd may not stray out of it for some time. There were also efforts to drive these elephants into the Barbara jungle in the past. But the herd was lured by the standing paddy crop in the agricultural fields and preferred to move around human habitats in Ganjam district.

This herd had strayed out of Chandaka elephant sanctuary around five months ago. One member of the herd had had died near Barunei in Khurda district. The remaining members of the herd had then also strayed into the Nalabana bird sanctuary area of Chilika lake. After getting driven out of it, the herd had entered the jungle area near Narayani in Ganjam district.

After that the herd had continued to create havoc in several areas of Khallikote, Beguniapada and Chatrapur blocks of Ganjam district. The forest officials were also unable to undertake any bigger operation to shoo them away as they were moving too close to human habitats. The herd had also split into two a few weeks ago. But it again got together.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A new lease of life for weavers
A unique coexistence
Workshop on land rights
Elephant herd driven into Barbara jungle
Youth’s murder: family members held
‘Women leadership at receiving end’
Retired judge floats party
Nurses suspend stir
14 students expelled
Speaker issue: Naveen promises ‘lawful steps’
Tibetan agitation

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu