TV
Panic gripped the residents of Bonai area in Sundargarh district after an elephant, which had been separated from its herd, wreaked havoc in the region on Wednesday morning.
The tusker was seen roaming on the streets and chasing individuals. Believed to have been separated from its herd, the jumbo has been sighted in multiple colonies, triggering fears among locals.
According to sources, the pachyderm has displayed aggressive behaviour, charging at pedestrians and causing chaos, leading many to avoid leaving their homes.
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“Earlier we had heard news of an elephant creating a ruckus but got to experience it today. An elephant walked from Kacheri Square to Church Square and broke the Church gate, which created a lot of problems for the locals. Seeing the activities of the elephant, the locals got scared too and closed their shops,” said a local.
On being informed about the incident, Forest department officials rushed to the spot and efforts are on to ward off the jumbo to the nearby forest.
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“We are closely monitoring the movement of the elephant, and last night after around 03:00 AM, it moved towards Bonai. Our officials are constantly keeping an eye on the animal, and due to dense fog, it could not get inside the forest. We hope it will eventually head toward the forest,” said Forester Sadashiv Patra from Bonai.
The community is on high alert as they await further updates on efforts to safely guide the rogue elephant back to its habitat and restore peace in the locality.
In another incident, a woman was trampled to death by an elephant at Chhendipada forest area of Angul district on Wednesday morning. The victim, identified as Mandiri Sahu from the nearby Patakumunda village, was on her way to harvest paddy in a nearby field when an elephant charged at her. The impact of the attack was so severe that she died instantly, marking the second fatality related to elephant attacks in December.
