KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, July 14: The killer elephant which strayed into the human habitat having parted way from a herd in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district recently moved to a new location on Friday.
Though the lone elephant is reported to have caused no further trampling after it had done at a village in Rajnagar block in Seraikela-Kharsawan on Wednesday, it is triggering panic among people wherever the embittered creature is moving along.
The elephant in question has entered into the Potka area in East Singhbhum district moving further eastward, giving the forest department officials a trying time.
The elephant had come into the spotlight after it had trampled a villager to death and inflicted grieving injuries to others at Rajnagar block on Wednesday to be spotted again in human habitat in adjoining Gamharia block in Seraikela-Kharsawan district only on Thursday. It is now in the East Singhbhum district, marching through green covers along the Hata-Jadugora road in East Singhbhum district.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Seraikela, Aditya Narayan claimed a team of forest department officials are chasing the elephant inconspicuously ever since it caused casualties at Rajnagar block.
“The forest department team is chasing the lone elephant for two reasons. Firstly, we want the villagers apprised with the elephant’s movement so that no casualty may occur. Secondly, we are trying to make the elephant to get back to its herd from which it has separated, ” elaborated Aditya Narayan while talking to lagatar24.com.
The DFO pointed out the herd from which the elephant has suffered separation is presently anchored in a jungle near Baldevpur in Seraikela-Kharsawan. Unfortunately, the strayed elephant is over 50 km away from the herd.
“Unlike other elephants, this elephant tends to move during the daytime also. And what is worse, is that the more the forest department officials are trying to drive the elephant towards Baldevpur, the more it is moving further in opposite direction, ” deplored the senior forest department officer.
The DFO said a strayed elephant remains aggressive and claimed the elephant in question has not caused any casualty during the past 48 hours despite remaining erratic because the forest department team is working round-the-clock to chase the elephant for giving prior information to the people about its movement.
