Koraput: A herd of four elephants that crossed into Odisha from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has triggered concern among residents of border villages in Gunupur block of Rayagada district, with the animals reportedly moving around Baridi and Kataguda areas under Jagannathpur panchayat for the past three days.Forest officials suspect the elephants entered Odisha in search of food. The herd is believed to have moved from Bhamini mandal in Andhra Pradeshs Manyam-Parvathipuram district through Palwalasa before crossing into Odisha.The movement of the elephants close to human habitations has raised apprehension among villagers, particularly farmers who are wary of the animals venturing into agricultural fields during the early morning and night hours.“We are carrying out 24×7 monitoring of the elephant herd and keeping a close watch on its movement. So far, there has been no damage to farmland or human life. Our teams are tracking the herd continuously and villagers are being alerted about its movement,” said ACF (Rayagada) Chitrananda Sethi.Following reports of the elephant movement, Gunupur forest officials stepped up surveillance in the area. On Sunday night, Gunupur sub-collector Dudhal Abhishek Dilip and forest department officials, including Sethi, visited the affected areas and reviewed the herd’s movement. Villagers were advised to maintain a safe distance from the elephants and exercise caution.Forest ranger, Gunupur, Pradipta Kumar Acharya said forest teams were continuously tracking the herd and taking necessary measures to minimise the possibility of human-elephant conflict. The latest movement comes days after elephants were spotted near several villages in Kashinagar block along the Rayagada-Gajapati border.Officials have advised villagers not to approach or provoke the elephants and to exercise extra caution while visiting farms or forest-fringe areas during night and early morning hours. The forest department is closely monitoring the direction of the herd to ensure timely alerts if the elephants move towards villages or agricultural land.
