The rescue operation was launched by the forest department on Tuesday for the three members of an elephant herd which, losing their way, got trapped in the mango orchard in Jat Bahadarpur village of Pathri area. To bar the elephants from entering the residential areas, the forest rangers guarded the elephants for the whole day.
Reaching their fields in the wee hours of Tuesday, the farmers spotted the members of the herd and informed the forest department.
Ranger of Haridwar forest division Mahesh Semwal told The Pioneer, “We are trying to move out the elephants safely from the fields for which the rescue operation was launched today(Tuesday). Three elephants had got separated from the herd and reached the mango orchard in Jat Bahadurpur Saini village of Pathri area. Having lost their way, they could not return to the forest. On receiving the information from the villagers, we rushed to the spot and made an enclosure, not allowing the elephants to move out in day time. At night they would be facilitated to return to the forest.” He further said that the farmers had been asked to keep away from their orchards as a precautionary measure.
According to the wildlife experts, Pathri area is a common corridor of elephants coming from Shyampur forest range of Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve. Pathri has become densely populated in recent times and the sugarcane fields attract the pachyderms. They usually cross the park during ate evenings and return in the morning.
SDO of Haridwar forest division Sant Ram said, “Three deputy rangers and other forest guards were deployed to guard the elephants as they could enter in the residential areas of the village and adjoining places. We are waiting for the dusk when they are likely to move out.”