For the second time in less than three months, wild elephants from the nearby Athagarh forest range have moved towards Cuttack city after crossing the Mahanadi.
Panic and anxiety gripped the residents of Abhinav Bidanasi here on the outskirts of the city on Friday when a herd of wild elephants were spotted near the Biju Patnaik Park of the satellite city.
The pachyderms were spotted in the early morning by a newspaper hawker when they crossed the Ring Road and went into the bushy
forest areas behind the Park.
Forest officials said the pachyderms are believed to have come from the nearby Athgarh forest range and entered into the city after crossing the river.
Police and forest officials soon cordoned the area and allowed the wild elephants to stay put inside the forest area throughout the day.
“We will ensure a safe passage for the elephants to get back to the Athgarh forest in the night,” said a forest official keeping a strong vigil on the pachyderms.
It may be mentioned that another herd of wild elephants was spotted close to the city last December near Hadia Patha, an islet of the Mahanadi when they had entered into the industrial township of Choudwar.