Herd of elephants on rampage in Bengal's Jhargram

A herd of 40 wild elephants went on a rampage in several villages in West Bengal's Jhargram district, damaging paddy and vegetables, a forest official said on Tuesday.

The herd, including tuskers and calves, is at the Kalaikunda forest area since Sunday, and have been straying into nearby villages, the official said.

The jumbos have destroyed paddy and vegetables grown over hundreds of acres of land at Beliabera, Bhandarbila, Amtalia, the official said.

Forest personnel, joined by locals, were trying to ward off the herd to their habitat in the nearby Dalma forest area, he said.

There have been several incidents of elephant depredation into localities in Jhargram and Bankura districts, and the administration was sensitising the locals and taking steps to avert man-animal conflict, the official said.

"The villagers are also given compensation for the loss of crops," he added.

Representational Image