Villagers threaten to poison rampaging Tusker

Baripada, Aug 25 (UNI) Perturbed with the depredations by a rampaging wild tusker, the villagers of Nakuda, Kunjia and Dumuria under Karanjia block of Mayurbhanj district have threatened to poison the animal.

The rampaging wild tusker that strayed into their villages has been causing depredations for the last few days and the villagers have warned that they would poison the elephant if the forest department failed to drive away the animal.

This was perhaps for the first time, villagers in Mayurbhanj has openly threatened to poison a marauding elephant to get rid of the panic and damages caused by the animal, whom they worship as the Carrier of Goddess Laxmi.

The affected villagers complained that the tusker has damaged their maize, standing khariff paddy crop and some houses too.

Meanwhile, the panic-stricken villagers had gheraoed the Revenue Inspector's office at Tato and the Block office at Karanjia on Wednesday to press the demand for chasing away the tusker to its habitat.

UNI XC DP SP AKP2155