Elephant herd rampages through villages in Kandhamal, Odisha

BERHAMPUR: An elephant herd that has been wreaking havoc in the G Udayagiri area of Kandhamal district destroyed the houses of five families near Raipada village under the Kalinga forest section on Monday.

The herd comprising 25 elephants sneaked into the village in the wee hours and destroyed the houses. It also uprooted several trees including those of jackfruit, mango and banana and feasted on paddy stocked by the villagers.

The herd that entered the Kalinga forest in G Udayagiri from the Ghumusur forest in the Ganjam district one month back has been creating a nuisance in several villages including Kurumingia, Gamuli, Pidikamaha, Padasahi and Retudi.

Forest staff have been deployed in the area and are trying to prevent the herd from entering human habitat.