Bhubaneswar: Forest officials safely guided two elephants, who had wandered into Sikharchandi hill in Bhubaneswar, back to their habitat in Bharatpur forest early Sunday morning.
According to sources, a Rapid Response Team, supervised by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Chandaka Wildlife Di
vision, conducted the operation all through the night. The team gently guided the pair from the Sikharchandi hill range via Pathargadia crematorium area, ensuring they avoided human settlements. The elephants reached the safety of Bharatpur forest around 4:20 am.
It is believed that ripe mangoes abundant in the area during the ongoing season lured the elephants, locally known as Bada Fereketa (the larger one) and Sana Fereketa (the smaller one), away from their natural habitat in the sanctuary. They had been wandering around Sikharchandi hill for the past three days, sparking panic among the residents of Pathargadia village.
Locals had reported spotting the tusker duo on the hill in the evenings.