53-elephant herd spreads across Marwahi forests; villager dies after close encounter
Raipur: A 40-year-old villager died and another injured after being attacked by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarh's Marwahi forest division, where a herd of around 53 elephants has been moving for nearly a week and has now split into three to four groups, prompting the forest department to intensify monitoring and warn villages against approaching the animals.
The deceased, Kemla Prasad Panika of Rumga village, had gone towards the Rumga-Matiyadand forest after learning that elephants were in the area. Forest officials said he moved too close to one of the animals when it attacked him, leaving him critically injured.
A deputy ranger rushed Panika in a forest department vehicle to the community health centre at Marwahi. He was later referred for higher treatment but died during treatment, officials said.
Herd splits across forest compartments
DFO Nishant Kumar said the 53-elephant herd has been present in the Marwahi landscape for about a week and has broken into smaller groups.
Forest teams and Hathi Mitra Dal members are tracking their movement and passing information to nearby settlements.
Crowds around elephants pose fresh risk
The incident has again exposed a recurring danger in elephant-hit landscapes — people gathering to watch herds at close range.
Forest officials have urged villagers not to crowd around elephants, attempt to chase them, or move closer for photographs and videos. People have been advised to maintain distance and immediately alert forest staff if elephants are sighted near habitations.
Officials stressed that even when a herd appears calm, its behaviour can change abruptly if animals feel surrounded or disturbed.
With 53 elephants spread across several pockets of the Marwahi forest, the department has asked residents of adjoining villages to remain particularly cautious until the herd moves out of the area.
The deceased, Kemla Prasad Panika of Rumga village, had gone towards the Rumga-Matiyadand forest after learning that elephants were in the area. Forest officials said he moved too close to one of the animals when it attacked him, leaving him critically injured.
A deputy ranger rushed Panika in a forest department vehicle to the community health centre at Marwahi. He was later referred for higher treatment but died during treatment, officials said.
Herd splits across forest compartments
DFO Nishant Kumar said the 53-elephant herd has been present in the Marwahi landscape for about a week and has broken into smaller groups.
Forest teams and Hathi Mitra Dal members are tracking their movement and passing information to nearby settlements.
Crowds around elephants pose fresh risk
The incident has again exposed a recurring danger in elephant-hit landscapes — people gathering to watch herds at close range.
Forest officials have urged villagers not to crowd around elephants, attempt to chase them, or move closer for photographs and videos. People have been advised to maintain distance and immediately alert forest staff if elephants are sighted near habitations.
Officials stressed that even when a herd appears calm, its behaviour can change abruptly if animals feel surrounded or disturbed.
With 53 elephants spread across several pockets of the Marwahi forest, the department has asked residents of adjoining villages to remain particularly cautious until the herd moves out of the area.
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