Elephants kill three people in Orissa jungles

Jeypore, Dec 22 (UNI) A herd of wild elephants today went on a rampage in the Borrigumma village, killing three people and destroying many houses, besides damaging standing crops.

Despite efforts by the forest officials to chase the herd away, the marauding animals refused to retreat.

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

The panicked villagers claimed that at least 12 people had been injured in the attacks by the wild elephants whilst nearly 200 houses were thatched and 2,000 acres of sugarcane and paddy crops destroyed in Jeypore and Borrigumma forest ranges.

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

On their return trail, the herd damaged crops and destroyed houses in Jaganathpur, Tengulikhunti, Digaslpa forest areas in Nabarangpur forest division and also killed a wild boar.

The wild jumbos had entered Dasmantpur jungles through their usual rotues from Phulabani border in November last week. They first satyed in Mandara forest in Nabarangpur till second week of December.

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

The Forest and Environment Ministry had given about Rs ten lakh this year as compensation pacakge to people who had been vicitms of wild elephants' rampage at Jeypore forest division.

UNI