TV
Dhenkanal once again witnessed man-elephant conflict on Friday as a lone tusker strayed onto the Sadangi–Chadeidhar road, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill for several hours. The elephant was seen roaming freely on the stretch, forcing commuters to halt at a safe distance.
Forest officials rushed to the spot and attempted to drive the tusker back to the forest. However, the task proved challenging, as the animal stood its ground for a long time. It took nearly two hours of persistent effort before the tusker retreated into the nearby jungle, allowing traffic to resume.
Local residents said such incidents have become increasingly frequent in the region, especially during the crop season when elephants venture out of their habitats in search of food. Earlier this year, multiple villages in Dhenkanal and Angul reported damage to paddy fields and houses due to stray elephants. In some cases, people sustained injuries while trying to protect their crops.
Wildlife experts attribute the rising encounters to habitat loss and fragmentation, which push elephants into human settlements. The Forest Department has urged locals to remain alert and avoid confronting wild elephants, stressing the need for coordinated measures to mitigate human-elephant conflict in the district.
