Tusker ‘Palank’ tranquilised, radio-collared after two-day operation in Bhubaneswar outskirts

After an intensive two-day operation, forest officials successfully tranquilised a tusker named ‘Palank’ in the Bharatpur forest on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The elephant has been fitted with a radio collar to enable close monitoring of its movements and to prevent it from straying into human settlements again.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary. Teams from the Chandaka Forest Division and the Bhubaneswar Rapid Response Team (RRT) jointly carried out the exercise.

According to officials, the radio collar will help track the tusker’s real-time location and analyse its movement patterns. This will allow forest authorities to take timely action if the elephant approaches residential areas.

Over the past few days, Palank had repeatedly ventured into populated localities of the capital city, causing panic among residents. The tusker’s frequent presence near habitation areas heightened concerns about potential human-elephant conflict, particularly during night hours.

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Forest officials stated that tranquilising and collaring the elephant was necessary to ensure the safety of both local residents and the animal. They assured that continuous monitoring will now be undertaken to prevent further incidents and to guide the elephant safely back into deeper forest zones.