Ranchi, Feb 27: A wild elephant strayed into residential areas of Ranchi, Jharkhand early on Friday, triggering panic among locals before forest officials launched an operation to drive the animal out of the city.
The elephant was first spotted around 5 a.m. near the National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, after which it moved through the Hawai Nagar and Hatia areas, officials said.
Authorities suspect that the animal deviated from its usual route and may have entered the city from the Halhu forest area or Boriya Kala region. Elephants are known to move towards the Dhurwa dam area from the Halhu forests.
A team of the Jharkhand Forest Department, assisted by local police, cordoned off the affected areas and used sirens and firecrackers to guide the elephant away from residential localities. By mid-morning, the animal was escorted towards the forested outskirts.
Eyewitnesses said the elephant damaged a few roadside shops and pushed some vehicles while moving through the area. However, no injuries were reported.
Ranchi Divisional Forest Officer Srikant Verma said authorities were taking all precautions as the incident occurred during school hours.
The elephant perhaps deviated from its route and entered the city. Since it is school time for children, we are following all safety measures,” he said.
The incident comes amid growing concern over human–elephant conflict in Jharkhand. Chief Minister Hemant Soren had recently said that around 27 people have died in elephant attacks across several districts, calling the situation a “matter of serious concern”.
He has directed officials to develop a mechanism to ensure that no human deaths occur due to elephant attacks in the state.
