Baripada/Athgarh: An elderly farmer was seriously injured after being attacked by an elephant at Sarasola village under Morada block in Mayurbhanj district early Saturday morning.
He has been identified as Narayan Tudu. Tudu was guarding his crops when a herd of elephants strayed into his fields. Meanwhile, one of the pachyderms spotted Tudu and charged at him before he could flee to save his life.
As he shouted for help, villagers converged to the scene and managed to drive away the elephant. Injured Tudu was rushed to a nearby PHC after.
Meanwhile, panic gripped the residents under Rasagobindpur Forest range in Mayurbhanj district and Khuntuni Forest Range in Cuttack district after three herd of over 100 wild elephants damaged vast stretch of standing crop.
In Mayurbhanj district, more than 60 elephants of the neighbouring Jharkhand state entered the Rasagobindpur Forest Range Mayurbhanj district in two herds, from the border areas of West Bengal Friday night. They wreaked havoc in Phulajhari and Brahmani villages by destroying hundreds of acres of paddy fields. The wild elephants in two herds have also damaged some thatched houses in these villages.
Reports said that one of the herd is currently inside Chitrada Forest Range and the other at Baghajharan Forest Range.
Talking to media persons, DFO (Baripada) Swayam Mallik said that a total of 140 forest staff have been engaged to drive away the herds. “They have been asked to take necessary steps to stop the herds from entering the nearby villages,” he added.
He further said that every year, especially during winter, the people in bordering areas of West Bengal push the Jharkhand elephants into the Nilagiri forest range.
In Cuttack district at the other end, a herd of 20 elephants crossed Baula-Sarakoli road by breaking the solar fence early Saturday and entered the forest near the villages in Khuntuni Forest range under Athgarh Forest Division.
Due to the presence of the elephants, people in the nearby villages are in a state of panic. Vehicular traffic on this route has been affected due to the movement of the elephants in the area. According to the villagers, the herd has damaged hundreds of acres of paddy fields since yesterday.
Meanwhile, the forest department officials and local police have reached the spot to drive out the elephants to the forest.
Till last report came in, forest officials and police were trying to drive out the jumbo herds.
PNN