Bhubaneswar: In a major operation, a notorious elephant, responsible for the death of 15 humans, was sedated and fitted with a radio collar in at Toda Forest under Koida range in Sundargarh district, on Wednesday.
According to sources, a team of 60 officials and personnel from the state forest department, along with experts from Rourkela, Bonai, Satakosia and Kapilas, carried out the operation. The elephant was released into the forest after being fitted with a GPS-enabled radio collar. The elephant, known for its aggressive behaviour, was tracked for five hours before being tranquilised.
Immediately afterwards, a GPS-enabled radio collar was fitted onto the elephant’s body. The elephant was then released into the forest, and the health condition of the elephant is stated to be stable.
“We have fitted the elephant with a radio collar to monitor its movements. This will help us track its location and prevent any further human-elephant conflicts,” said Lalit Kumar Patra, Bonai Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).
Locals, on the other hand, expressed resentment for not relocating the rogue animal to another area. “The elephant has killed 15 people and injured many others. We fear it will continue to pose a threat to human life,” said a resident.
The DFO assured that the forest department would monitor the elephant’s movements and take necessary steps to prevent any further conflicts. He also stated that if the state government directs, the elephant would be relocated.
