Angul: A wild tusker caused panic in Angul town Sunday after straying into populated areas, damaging property and injuring a forest official during an operation to drive it away.
The lone elephant reportedly entered the premises of the Police Training College (PTC) hospital and adjacent grounds during the night and remained there through the day.
It damaged trees, broke boundary walls and moved through residential quarters, triggering fear among residents.
Forest officials, police, and rapid action teams were deployed to monitor and control the situation. Locals gathered in large numbers, prompting authorities to restrict public movement near the animal.
During the drive to push the elephant back into nearby forested areas Sunday afternoon, the animal suddenly turned aggressive near Ankula village and attacked a for ester, identified as Ranjan Pradhan, hurling him with its trunk.
He sustained serious injuries, including fractures to his right arm and chest trauma, and was initially admitted to the district headquarters hospital before being referred to Cuttack for advanced treatment.
Officials said efforts were made to ensure crowd control, which is crucial for safely driving the animal back to the forest.