Elephant herd crosses river into Savli taluka again, forest department on alert

A herd of elephants has once again entered Savli taluka. The herd crossed the Wainganga river from the Gadchiroli side to enter the taluka. Elephant movement was seen in the Karoli, Akapur and Gevra areas, causing concern among farmers and villagers.

Citing the risk of damage to crops and the safety of people, the forest department has stepped up its efforts. A forest department team is continuously monitoring the direction in which the herd is moving. People have been urged to maintain a safe distance from the elephants.

For the past three years, herds of elephants have repeatedly crossed the Wainganga river to move between the border areas of Gadchiroli and Savli. Just three months ago, a large herd of 32 elephants camped in Savli taluka for an entire month. During that time, a person died in an elephant attack in Sonapur, while several farmers suffered heavy crop losses. With this herd now entering the taluka again, the worry among farm laborers and farmers has increased further. The forest department team is closely monitoring which route the herd is taking at present.

In view of this, Savli forest range officer Vinod Dhurve has appealed to people to exercise particular caution. The forest department has clearly stated that if an elephant herd is spotted, people should completely avoid going near them, taking photos or videos, or trying to chase them away. The range officer has also advised that unnecessary movement at night in areas affected by elephants should be avoided, and that any elephant activity spotted should be reported immediately to forest staff to assist the administration.