Baripada: In a shocking incident triggered by human-elephant conflict, angry locals in Bahalda area under Baripada Forest Division and Khunta police station limits allegedly assaulted seven forest personnel and damaged their Bolero vehicle.
According to reports, a tusker that had strayed from Similipal forest towards human settlements entered the Bahalda area and damaged several houses. Forest department teams were trying to drive the elephant back into the jungle when the confrontation occurred.
The villagers, already frustrated by the elephant’s rampage, reportedly stopped the forest staff who had come to chase the animal away. They allegedly beat the seven forest personnel mercilessly and vandalised the department’s Bolero vehicle in a fit of rage.
The situation was later brought under control when additional forest staff reached the spot from Baripada and rescued the trapped personnel.
Locals claimed that they had informed the forest department about the elephant entering the village as early as 3 pm. However, the department team reached the area only around 9 pm, by which time the elephant had already started damaging houses from 6 pm onwards. This delay reportedly angered the villagers, leading to heated arguments that soon turned into a clash.
The incident highlights the growing tension between local communities and forest authorities amid frequent human-elephant conflicts in the region. No serious injuries to the forest staff have been confirmed in initial reports, and the situation has now been normalised. Further details are awaited.
