Wild elephant wreaks havoc in Odisha village; homes damaged, crops devoured

Terror struck Nagpal village under Udala forest range in Mayurbhanj district when a stray tusker entered the residential area late last night, causing significant damage to property and devouring stored food grains, forest sources said on Sunday.

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According to the official sources, the wild elephant, separated from its herd, broke into the house of a tribal villager named Mangal Hembram by smashing through the mud wall. It consumed a large quantity of paddy and chhatua (roasted gram flour) stored inside.

Sensing the danger, the family managed to flee the house just in time, narrowly avoiding a major tragedy.

This latest incident adds to the growing concern over human-elephant conflict in the region. The tusker also damaged nearby paddy fields after exiting the house.

Mayurbhanj Forest Department, alerted to the situation, kept a close watch on the animal throughout the night and successfully drove it toward the Salamundali forest.

Forest officials continue their efforts to ensure the elephant doesn’t return to the human settlement, as locals remain wary and fearful of further damage.

However, no comments were received from local police or the forest department.

“An elephant reached near my house at around 10.30 PM to 11 PM. Most of the members of my family were sleeping at that time. However, my daughter could see the jumbo. She came to the front of the house and screamed for help. The pachyderm then tried to catch hold of my daughter, but could not. After hearing her scream, we all woke up and ran to a safer place through the back door,” the victim, Mangal Hembram, said.

Reported By: Abhijeet Biswal