Nepal Elephant Herd Causes Havoc in Uttar Pradesh's Kheri District
A herd of more than 35 wild elephants from Nepal has strayed into Uttar Pradesh's Kheri district, causing extensive damage to agricultural fields. The elephants allegedly trampled approximately 10 acres of sugarcane and around four acres of banana crops in Bhagwant Nagar and Gulara villages. These villages are located near the Majhgai forest range, which is part of the North Kheri forest division and serves as a buffer zone for the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
Ongoing Menace and Financial Impact
Forest officials reported that the menace of these jumbos continued on Monday and Tuesday nights, affecting an estimated 70 to 80 farmers from the two villages. The incident has resulted in heavy financial losses for the local agricultural community. Jagtar Singh, a farmer from Chaukhara Farm, expressed his distress, stating, "The sugarcane was the seed nursery grown for the forthcoming spring sowing season. I have no choice left but to purchase fresh seeds from the market." This highlights the severe disruption to farming activities and the additional costs incurred by the farmers.
Damage to Infrastructure and Migration Patterns
Range officer Ankit Singh revealed that a kilometer-long stretch of solar fencing was also found to be damaged by the elephants. He explained, "The elephants had arrived on their annual transboundary migration from Shuklaphanta National Park in Nepal via Gauriphanta village during the post-monsoon season. But contrary to their routine retreat to their native habitats in November, they continued staying in the buffer zone." This deviation from their usual migration pattern has raised concerns among forest authorities.
Efforts to Restrain the Elephants
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve field director H Rajamohan stated that forest teams have been implementing measures to restrain the elephants from entering cropped fields. These efforts include burning crackers and using wheat straw mixed with chilli. However, the tuskers have been changing their path each time in search of fresh cropped fields, making it challenging to control their movements effectively.
Factors Influencing Elephant Behavior
Officials noted that farmers in Nepal have allegedly installed electric live fencing in their agricultural fields and are using loud drum beats to ward off elephants as they retreat to their native habitats. Farmers claimed that sensing a threat to their lives in Nepal, the jumbos prefer to remain in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, where they find safety and abundant amenities such as shelter, food, and drinking water.
Recent Tragic Incident
Notably, on December 5, a 60-year-old farmer from Bhagwant Nagar village was killed by an elephant while he was guarding the wheat crop of another farmer from the same village. This tragic event underscores the dangers posed by the elephant herd to human life and property in the region.
