Uttarakhand: Herd of jumbos stray into Doon residential area, create panic

It is for the first time that elephants forayed so deep into the city.

Dehradun, September 18: A herd of elephants strayed into Ladpur residential area in Dehradun on Monday morning. The elephants created a scare among people out on a morning walk.

However, the elephants did not hurt any passersby and fled into the surrounding forests after forest department personnel fired in the air and set off firecrackers to scare them away, Dehradun DFO Prasanna Kumar Patro said.

It is for the first time that elephants forayed so deep into the city.

"The elephants are still in the forests near the city and we are trying to chase them away to Rajaji National Park", he said.

The herd actually comprised a family of three elephants including a male, a female elephant and their calf, he said adding the family was recently spotted roaming around in Nakraunda area.

With construction work on the Dehradun-Haridwar National Highway picking up momentum of late the elephants seem to have lost their way to Rajaji National Park and strayed into residential areas, he said.

Eyewitnesses said the herd of elephants had forayed into Badrish colony adjacent to Dalanwala.

Badrish colony resident Rajesh Painuli said they woke up to the sounds of firecrackers and gunshots this morning. "As we looked out we saw three elephants running into the jungles," she said.

PTI