What’s Causing Panic in Balasore? A Herd of 65 Elephants on the Move!

Elephants from Jharkhand Create Concern in Nilagiri

In Nilagiri, a significant herd of 65 elephants has wandered in from Jharkhand, alarming the local communities near the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary in Balasore district. This group includes 10 male elephants, 37 females, and 18 calves, which were seen in the Gopalpur and Tinikosia reserve forests.

With the paddy harvest concluded and food scarce in the fields, these elephants have started encroaching on nearby villages, raising fears of property damage and potential human-animal conflicts.

According to forest officials, the elephants migrated from the Dalma forest in Jharkhand, a route they have been using seasonally since 2010. They had recently been in Mayurbhanj before entering the Gopalpur reserve forest early Tuesday morning.

The herd traversed several roads in the area, including Durga Devi, Pundala, Kathapala, Patana, and Ayodhya, before settling in the Gopalpur reserve forest.

By evening, the elephants had divided into smaller groups and moved towards the Tinikosia reserve forests.

Forest officials are closely tracking the elephants' movements around the forest's edge. Residents from Narayanpur, Bhaunriabada, Jamudiha, Siadimal, Sajanagarh, Garardi, and Ayodhya are anxious about the elephants potentially entering their neighborhoods at night.

Preventive measures like trenches and solar-powered fences, established a decade ago to keep elephants at bay, are now largely ineffective. Many trenches have been filled in, and numerous solar fences are either damaged or out of service.

Despite government promises of compensation for damages caused by elephants, locals argue that the support is often insufficient and delayed. Following news of the herd's arrival, many villagers stayed vigilant, using torches to guard their homes on Monday night.

Madanmohan Majhi, a retired chief general manager from the Reserve Bank of India and a local resident, stressed the urgent need for repairs to the broken solar fencing and the clearing of collapsed trenches. He stated, 'It’s crucial to ensure safety for both people and elephants.'

Currently, a team of over 25 forest personnel, including range officers, foresters, guards, and volunteers from the 'Green India Mission,' is monitoring the situation under the guidance of range officer Aishi Akhtari Nisha. She has assured that compensation will be provided for any damages caused by the elephants.