Eelephants kill three people in Orissa jungles

Jeypore, Dec 22 (UNI) A herd of wild elephants today sneaked into the Borrigumma village and killed three people and destroyed many houses, besides damaging standing crops.

Despite hectic efforts of the forest officials to chase the herd away, the marauding refused to retreat.

The pahcyderms had taken shelter in the Bisingpur, Ramgoad, Durasuni, Gadpadar, Anlabhata, Kenduguda forest areas under Jeypore forest division since January this year.

The panicked villagers have claimed that at least 12 people were injured in the wild elephant attaks whilst nearly 200 thatched houses and 2000 acres of sugarcane and paddy crops were destroyed in Jeypore and Borrigumma forest ranges .

However, after much efforts, the Jeypore forest department officials mangaged to send the rogues back to their habitat in the neibouring Thuamula-Rampur jungle.

On their return trail, the herd had damdaged crops and destroyed houses in Jaganathpur, Tengulikhunti, Digaslpa forest areas in Nabarangpur forest disvision and killed a wild bear.

The wild jumbos have entered in Dasmantpur jungles, through their usual rotues from Phulabani border in November last week and first satyed some time in Mandara forest in Nabarangpur till second week of December and now they are on hectic mood to venture in.

Jeypore divisional forest officier Rasmi Ranjan Nayak, who has been monitoring the track of the herd, said they were keeping track on the animals.

The forest and enviornment ministry has given about 10 lakh rupees this year as compensation pacakge to the vicitms of wild jumbos of Jeypore forest division.

UNI