The elephants are expected to return home in February next year
Jamshedpur, August 4: The annual migration of Dalma elephants to neighbouring Bengal has begun in earnest.
A few Asiatic jumbos have already left for the jungles of Bankura and West Midnapore jungles in Bengal while some are still scattered in the downhills of the sprawling 102 sq km Dalma wildlife sanctuary, some 30 km from Jamshedpur.
The elephants remained anchored in Dalma for over six months. A herd of around 15 elephants, including some tusker calves, is the first to catch the corridor leading to jungles of Midnapore and Bankura. They left the sanctuary some in the afternoon some back . The around 100-odd elephants still in Dalma have climbed down the hills and will follow in the days to come.
Dalma sanctuary officials said elephants are creatures of habit and stick to designated corridors. Herds may be small or large, stops for food and water may vary, but routes or elephant corridors stay the same.
Herds head for Bengal through Dhalbhumgarh and Seraikela-Kharsawan. One elephant corridor is from Jhunjki and the other is from Burudih. The first one leads to Nutandih while the second passes through Narsingpur (Ghatshila range), Dalapani, Suklara and Aamdapahari.
Jhunjki and Bitapur jungles in Seraikela are favourite stopovers.
“Right now, some migrating elephants are stationed at Suklara near Ghatshila and others in Nutandih. During their trek, they also enjoyed a leisurely bath in a lake near Dimna,” a forest staffer said.
He added that elephants still in Dalma had come downhill and were scattered around Bota, Konkadasa and Dhobni, sniffing for corn in the villages.
“Migration of elephants to Bengal depends on their moods. There is an abundance of food and water in Dalma. But yes, the elephants will gradually migrate,” he said.
An official at Dalma range office in Mango said elephants normally returned to Dalma by mid-February.
Elephants start leaving Midnapore and Bankura in December and reach Dalma by February 15.
The elephants often have the tendency to go into agricultural fields adjoining the sanctuary in search of food. Though the forest department has made arrangements to keep them anchored in Dalma, the animals continue to destroy crops.
The measures taken by the forest department include availability of adequate water holes, salt licks and sufficient food for the tuskers. But these are not enough for all the elephants residing in the area.
