Dalma herd enters Bankura ahead of time, villagers warned
The Statesman | 4 September 2025Meanwhile, six resident elephants lodged in the Barjora and Beliatore Range forests for the past 10 months have also become active of late. At Kochkonda village in Barjora, a tusker rampaged through the house of farmer Pradip Sen and the shop of Sasti Mukherjee yesterday evening.
The Dalma herd crossed the West Midnapore-Bankura border and was seen destroying paddy fields at Phulbani and Amdohora villages in Bishnupur. Villagers complained that newly-planted saplings were ravaged by the animals. Typically, migratory herds from Jharkhand arrive in Bankura Forest division during the paddy harvest season.
The affected villages fall under the Bankadaha Range, a usual route of the visiting herds. Tapabrata Roy, ranger of Bankadaha, said: “We have deployed round-the-clock surveillance teams along the route, and our staff is trying to divert the herd deeper into the forests to prevent human-elephant conflict.”
At Astha Sole jungle in Bankadaha, forest officials confirmed the presence of 22 elephants, while three others remain unaccounted for. “It is very difficult to ascertain the location of the missing three. Another team has been deployed exclusively to track them, but no clues have been found so far,” said Roy.
Local residents of villages under the Bankadaha Range have been advised not to venture out in the evening.
