Sundargarh, Aug. 7 (UDN): A lone wild elephant has become a source of fear for villagers in Odisha’s Sundargarh district after repeatedly entering human settlements in search of food. The tusker’s latest visit to a village under the Koida forest range left residents stunned when it walked away carrying a sack of rice in its trunk.
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The incident took place at Rengalbeda Munda village, where the elephant entered a house, damaged furniture and other household belongings while searching for food. Before leaving, it picked up a bag of rice and calmly walked through the village, leaving residents both shocked and frightened.
According to locals, the elephant has been straying into villages frequently over the past few days. Residents claim the tusker has developed a habit of searching for food in human settlements, making it increasingly difficult to keep food grains safely stored.
This is not the first such incident involving the animal. Villagers said the same tusker had recently been spotted stopping vehicles on nearby roads and taking food items, indicating that it has become accustomed to obtaining food from people.
The repeated incursions have heightened fear among residents, who now worry that the elephant could return at any time, posing a risk to lives and property.
Forest officials believe the tusker’s behaviour is linked to its dependence on easily available human food. Teams from the Forest Department have been deployed to monitor the elephant’s movement and make efforts to drive it back into the forest.
Meanwhile, villagers have urged the Forest Department to take long-term measures to prevent further human-elephant conflict and ensure the safety of both local residents and the wild animal.
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