M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Dec 4: A lone adult elephant has come from Chhatisgarh to Mahuadnr range of the tiger reserve Palamu on Saturday.
This Chhatisgarh elephant has damaged one house of a tribal at village Bora Kona about 5 km away from Mahuadnr last night. The elephant was last seen in the Aksi river area.
“Its arrival in the tiger reserve Palamu is not unwelcome but since this elephant is a tusker, it has to be well taken care of,” said the Mahuadanr ranger Brinda Pandey.
“We have spread out our forest guards and trackers asking them to keep as much watch on the movement and direction of the tusker as possible” he added.
He said our men are on the job trailing behind this tusker and villagers have also been asked to be careful and watchful not to come in the way of this tusker. Sources said a lone tusker is highly vulnerable to poaching as tusks fetch high money in the wildlife black market globally and locally as well.
Mukesh Kumar deputy director South division of the tiger reserve Palamu said such coming over of elephants from the adjoining Chhatisgarh is nothing uncommon but we are conscious and cautious not to have any episode of man-elephant conflict.
There was one such man-elephant conflict where live electricity wire was used to kill a male elephant recently in the South division of the tiger reserve Palamu.
Mukesh Kumar said PTR personnel have been directed to keep a close tab on the villagers and such guests of Chhatisgarh as well.
