Elephant menace grips Champua range in Keonjhar district

Keonjhar: A herd of 53 elephants from Jharkhand are on a damaging spree in Patala village near Kaliprasad forest under Champua range in Keonjhar district. The jumbos have so far destroyed three houses apart from damaging paddy and maize crops fields in the area.

People are in panic over the persistent elephant menace in the area as their houses and crops are being often damaged by the pachyderms, said reports.

The locals alleged that the forest department has so far failed to drive out the animals in the region.

However, the ranger of the Champua range Bharat Ghadei said as many as 40 staff have been engaged to keep tabs on the movement of the pachyderms and drive them out.

"Besides, the forest department is using crackers and lights to drive away the animals," said Ghadei.