Bhubaneswar: Panic and apprehension have gripped the people residing in the neighbourhood of Sikharchandi Hills in the capital city as four wild pachyderms from the adjoining Bharatpur forest strayed into the area on Friday.
The herd comprises a tusker, two female elephants and a calf. They were first spotted in the area by local residents around 1.30 am on Thursday. They alerted the Forest department about the presence of the wild animals.
The elephants have also put the Forest department officials on their toes as they have swung into high alert mode. They are tracking the movement of the elephants to ensure that the animals do not venture into the city area.
The news was confirmed by Chandaka DFO Mohammad Jamil, who said, “Four elephants were seen near Sikharchandi Hill in Bhubaneswar. They have strayed from the nearby Bharatpur forest.”
Forest department staff has, however, assured the people that there was no reason to panic as the elephants would return to the forest before nightfall.
Nevertheless, local residents are panicked as there are several houses and shops in the path of the elephants. They fear that even if the elephants return to their habitat, they might cause damage to their homes and shops.
It is worth mentioning here that an elephant had strayed into the area recently when a forest fire broke out on a nearby hill. The Forest department staff was successful in driving the animal back to the forest.
