Jamshedpur: Intensive forest patrol for Sendra force elephants exit Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary

Over 100 jumbos anchored in Chakulia forest range, alert issued

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, June 16: Intensive patrolling by forest teams especially prior to the annual tribal hunting festival, Sendra or Bishu Shikaar at Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, has forced wild elephants to take the exit route. However, a section of the pachyderms that had migrated to Bengal earlier are now stationed in the Chakulia forest range. A section of Dalma elephants that had migrated to Bengal, was currently stationed in the Chakulia jungles.

Around 70 Asiatic elephants have left the sprawling 192 sq km sanctuary, 30 km from Jamshedpur The presence of these jumbos in Chakulia, has forced forest authorities to issue an alert.

A Dalma forester said intensive patrolling by the forest staff during Sendra has made the elephants leave the sanctuary. “Elephants are sensitive animals who love to live in peace. The elephants got disturbed due to plying of forest patrol vehicles across the sanctuary, including the core pockets, during Sendra. The jumbos, including calves, took the exit route to Chakulia in batches.”

Another forester informed, “Around 40-45 elephants, who don’t leave for neighboring Bengal as part of their annual migration are still present inside Dalma. The exit of elephants to Chakulia is temporary but when they will amble back to Dalma cannot be predicted. Elephants are moody animals who love movement. They would stay in Chakulia jungles as long as food and water are available.”

The Dalma jumbos migrate to the jungles of Bankura and Midnapore in Bengal in August-September and return in January-February. The elephants migrate to Bengal via two designated corridors – one from Jhunjka, leading to Nutandih, and the other from Burudih, passing through Narsinghpur, Dalapani, Suklara and Aamdapahari. The corridors touch Dhalbhumgarh and Chakulia.

Chakulia range officer Digvijay Singh confirmed the presence of elephants and said that the department had issued an alert. Elephants are present in the Chakulia jungles. “We have issued an alert. We are moving in vehicles with loudspeakers and asking people to remain alert. We neither want man-animal conflict nor destruction of crops and homes,” he added.

He informed that some elephants from Bengal and Odisha were also present in Chakulia forest range.