Rourkela: An elephant herd has been causing extensive damage to crops and houses of poor tribals for the last three days in Kacheru village under Kunarmunda forest range of Rourkela forest division in Sundargarh district.
Kunarmunda forest ranger, Nalini Behera said the herd comprised 12 elephants who came from the nearby Rion reserve forest and stayed at the Demarcated Protected Forest (DPF) on the outskirts of the village.
A 20-member squad comprising forest officials and villagers has been monitoring the situation as the herd remained there after female elephants gave birth to two calves recently.
Any attempt to drive them back into the reserve forest may be dangerous as the elephants are guarding the calves, she said.