Shergarh/Digapahandi: An elephant which had fallen into 18 feet deep ditch near Landasikh Jenakhol hill at Alarigada village under Shergarh block in Ganjam district Saturday evening was rescued after a five-hour long operation Sunday. Forest and fire department personnel along with local villagers rescued the pachyderm.
Forest department officials said that a herd of 11 elephants has been on a rampaging spree in areas like Digapahandi, Berhampur and Chikiti in the recent past. The herd Saturday evening came out of Ratnai forest and was moving towards the jungle on the Landasikh Jenakhol hill when one of the females fell into the ditch. Luckily forest department guards were in the vicinity when the accident happened at around 7.00pm.
They immediately informed Digapahandi forest ranger Pramod Kumar Khadgaray. He rushed to the spot, but rescue operation could not be carried out as other members of the herd were present close to the ditch.
“When I reached the spot I saw nine elephants including a tusker standing around the ditch. They were trying to pull up their companion with their tusks, but failed to do so,” informed Khadgaray. “However, they remained all through the night to guard the female,” he added.
Berhampur DFO Ashok Kumar Behera, Berhampur ranger A Raja Rao, Digapahandi ranger Khadgaray and more than 60 forest and fire department staff reached the spot at around 4.30am. An earth mover was also pressed into service. At about 9:30am, they managed to create a path for the elephant to climb up. The pachyderm after coming out of the ditch ran and joined the herd which was waiting nearby.
It should be stated here that an elephant which had got separated its group had killed farmer Alu Lachheya behind the Digapahandi Rural Health Training Centre, January, 21.
PNN
