JEYPORE: Panic gripped residents of several villages in Kotia after a herd of four elephants reportedly crossed over from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and entered the bordering panchayat under Pottangi block in Koraput district on Saturday night.
According to sources, the elephant herd had been moving in forest areas under Salur Mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s Parvathipuram Manyam district before crossing into Odisha side. The herd is said to have entered Odisha through Neredi Valsa village under Kotia and moved along the historic British Road connecting the border areas.
Villagers in Neredi Valsa and nearby settlements were alarmed by the sudden movement of the elephants, fearing damage to crops and property. On receiving information, authorities of the Koraput forest division deployed three teams to monitor the herd’s movement and prevent any human-elephant conflict.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Koraput Siddharth Jain said the elephants entered the Odisha villages from Andhra Pradesh in search of food and later returned to the neighbouring state during the early hours of Sunday.
“The elephant herd went back to the forests in Andhra Pradesh during the early morning hours. Our teams are keeping a close watch on their movement. People need not panic, but they should remain alert and avoid approaching the animals,” the DFO said.
Forest officials advised villagers to stay indoors during the night, avoid venturing into forest fringes alone and immediately inform authorities about any fresh elephant movement.