After different means failed to drive away trespassing elephants to Jharkhand jungles, the Odisha Forest Department has adopted a new technique
of engaging trained horses to do the job.
The department engaged some horses on an experimental basis from Sunday after failing to drive away the wild animals using smokes generated from burning of cow dung cakes laced with chili powder.
It has formed a squad of four horses to drive away the elephants that have trespassed into jungles in Mayurbhand and Baleswar districts. Two houses have so far been inducted into the squad, which is already on patrolling job from Monday.
The pachyderms’ herd has already created havoc in the Nilgiri area of Baleswar and adjoining area of Mayurbanj district. People in the locality are in a panic state and spending sleepless nights.
As per reports, the department has brought on hire a black horse named ‘Badal’ from Chengua Mangalpur and another one, ‘Dilu’ from Manatri. While both Badal and Dilu are already on patrolling, two more horses brought from Digha would join them shortly.
According to experts, the experiment of using smokes with hot chili smells had no positive impact on the straying elephants rather it made them more violent. Departmental sources said around 100 employees of different forest range offices would be deployed in the operation to drive away the elephants from Odisha territory.