GUWAHATI, Jan 5: Wild elephants continue to stray into human habitats across Assam following shrinking forest cover. On Saturday night, a rogue elephant entered Dhanubhanga Madang village under Rangjuli Forest division of Goalpara district and created havoc.
The elephant razed down several houses and destroyed crops in the village.
“The jumbo came at around 10 p.m. It razed down our houses, destroyed rice and plants. We had to flee to save ourselves from the elephant,” said Gakul Rabha, a resident of the village whose houses were damaged more than seven times by the wild elephants over last few years.
On the other hand, a herd of around seventy wild elephants has been creating mayhem at Letekujan tea estate, Bishnupur and Seujpur areas of Golaghat district. The herd of elephants has been strolling day and night in the tea garden and creating panic among the tea workers and residents of nearby villages.
“Last night, six houses were damaged by wild elephants. We have been passing sleepless nights for last ten-fifteen days. Forest department officials drive away the elephants, but they come back again to the tea estate. We are having a harrowing time,” said a tea garden worker.
