DHENKANAL: The 35-year-old female elephant which had created havoc at Jagatpur in Cuttack district recently has now been released into Narasinghpur jungle along with her 4-year-old baby much to the discontentment of locals in Hindol range.
Dhenkanal DFO PC Gogineni said the elephant was released in the jungle after she became normal. “Though agitated initially, she behaved normal after her calf was brought to her.” The elephant had killed two persons in Jagatpur reportedly after being separated from her calf. After a great toil by forest personnel, she was tranquilised and shifted to Kapilas rescue centre on September 29.
“After we found the elephant in perfect condition to go into the wild, it was decided to shift her to a dense forest in the middle of Narasinghpur-Hindol range. The elephant has been doing good with her calf after her release,” informed Gogineni.
Though there was resentment among the locals of Hindol range over the shifting of wild animals into the area and they locked the forest beat house at Dandiri in the district in protest, they called off their strike after being convinced that the two were left in a jungle far away from their villages, he added.