Wild Elephants Wander Into Cooch Behar District Neighborhood, One Person Injured

On Thursday, a herd of wild elephants wandered through a Cooch Behar district neighborhood, attracting hundreds of spectators who drove erratically after the herd—some on motorcycles and cars—hoping to get a sight of the beasts.

An elephant attacked and wounded a person who went too near.

The government had to impose prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 due to the severity of the situation.

According to accounts, teams of foresters assembled in the evening to lead the elephants into the forest.

According to sources, a herd of six elephants was observed by locals in the Bhutkura-Laxmir Bazar region under Matalhat panchayat of Dinhata-I block on Thursday morning.

"The herd had entered a field of crops and was consuming harvested paddy. Elephants visiting our neighborhood was unheard of. We had previously seen elephants in circuses, but this is the first time we have seen wild elephants up close," Matalhat local Prafulla Barman said.

When word got out, a group of police officers and foresters from the Cooch Behar Forest Division arrived at the location.

The two calves in the herd seem to have originated in Jaldapara National Park. In addition to monitoring the herd's movements, our personnel are preventing anybody from approaching. We'll attempt to move the herd into the forest in the evening, according to additional divisional forest officer Bijon Kumar Nath.

Situated around 60km away from Matalhat, Jaldapara is the biggest rhino habitat in Bengal and is renowned for its elephant population.

To the dismay of foresters and law enforcement, an increasing number of people began congregating throughout the day in hopes of catching a sight of the elephants. Most of them were using cellphones to take pictures and record movies.

When resident Harendranath Barman approached the herd too closely, an elephant attacked him, causing injuries. Dinhata Subdivisional Hospital admitted him.

"Hundreds of people from various sections of the region arrived to the location on bikes and in vehicles, along with villagers living nearby. It was difficult for foresters to keep an eye on the herd's movements or start the process of guiding the elephants back into the forest because of the large crowds.

"The crowd was getting bigger every hour, making it hard for the police to keep control of it," said Manabendra Nath Roy, the pradhan of Matalhat panchayat.

In the end, the subdivisional officer of Dinhata issued prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC to halt vehicle traffic and public gatherings in the panchayat areas of Bhutkura, Gotamari, Bholka-Putimari, and Kharija-Borodanga.

An official said, "The order will remain in effect until all of the elephants are returned to the forest."