Caution! 4 wild elephants spotted in Bhubaneswar’s Sikharchandi forest

A herd of around four wild elephants have been spotted in the Sikharchandi forest area in Bhubaneswar, remaining in the same location for the past three days. The herd, comprising adults and calves, has been moving around even during the night, raising safety concerns for nearby residents and visitors.

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Yesterday, the elephants were seen near a construction site behind a water tank, WATCO project, on Sikharchandi hill. In response, authorities have deployed two dedicated teams to monitor the herd and ensure public safety.

With the ongoing tourist season, large numbers of people are visiting the Sikharchandi hill, prompting officials to issue special precautions. Visitors are urged to maintain a distance from the elephants and follow safety instructions provided by forest authorities.

“Two of the elephants were recently spotted in the Sikharchandi forest. As there are several banyan and peepal trees in the forest, the elephants are roaming in search of food. They are not leaving the place for the last two days. We have constituted two teams to monitor their movement,” Wildlife Deputy Ranger, Dhyan Tudu, said to OTV.

“Day and night patrolling teams are alert. The pachyderms are eating the banyan and peepal leaves. However, no damage has been caused to the forest yet,” the official stated.

“We are trying to drive them away either to the Chandaka or Bharatpur forests. We alert the visitors to exercise caution while visiting the Sikharchandi forest. A large number of people are coming these days to the hill for picnicking,” the forest official added.

Reported By: Arun Kumar Sahu