APR deployed to check elephant depredation

Baripada, Aug 2 (UNI) Armed Police Reserve (APR) personnel were deployed at two villages in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district to defuse the panic caused due to depredation by a herd of wild elephants yesterday.

The herd of wild elephants had strayed from the neighbouring West Bengal forests,crossed Orissa border and entered into the district.

They were seen moving close to Nalgaja and Budipal villages under Rasgovindpur block,Baripada Divisional Forest Officer(DFO) Saloram Marandi said.

The herd comprising three adult tuskers and one adult cow elephant entered into Rasgovindpour block since Tuesday night and were on the rampage.

The forest officials were keeping round-the-clock vigil on the movement of the pachyderm and efforts were on to push the herd back to their forest abode in West Bengal, Mr Marandi said.

An assessment on the extent of damages caused to the houses and standing crop was under progress, the DFO said and added that nobody has been hurt by the wild elephants.

But villagers of Nalgaja alleged that the migrants elephants had entered their houses,consumed the grains stored by them, and also damaged the houses.

UNI