National
Park elephants run amok in human settlements
Elephants have already destroyed more than two dozen houses in Sarlahi’s Lalbandi area, Parsa National Park officials say.Shankar Acharya
Ten days ago, two male elephants of Parsa National Park went to Nareshkhor in Sarlahi from Sindhuli area. Although the Parsa National Park formed a team to send a herd of wild elephants back to the forest in Sarlahi, the team was unable to carry out their task due to continuous rainfall in the area.
According to the park officials, the team members have been unable to go to Lalbandi area in Sarlahi to look for the elephants that have entered the human settlements.
Ashok Ram, assistant conservation officer at the park, said the elephants have already destroyed more than two dozen houses in Lalbandi area. “We are unable to chase away the elephants from the area due to rains,” he said.
Two of the wild elephants of the park are in Manahari area in Makwanpur. They had reached Manahari area from Bhata in Chure. According to Ram, those elephants have destroyed maize crops in Manahari.
On Tuesday, a herd of three elephants were found in Halkhoriya Daha area in Bara. According to the park officials, every year a herd of around five dozen elephants move towards the eastern region from Hattidandi area, around 4km from the park. “Currently, these elephants are in Bhat area of western Mahadev Khola around 25km from the park,” said Ram.
The movement of elephants has been blocked after the inner trails of the park were damaged due to the rain-swollen rivers and rivulets.
Pasaha, Bakaiya, Balganga and Dhudhaura streams flow through Bara in the eastern part of the PNP, and Bhedaha, Bhaluwahi, Mahadev, Bhatha, Aurahi and Sikaribaas streams in the western part of the park.
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