Keonjhar: Wild elephants from Jharkhand have strayed into the district, triggering panic in forest-side human settlements since past one week.

Though the animals are yet to trigger any major damage to life and property, possibility of the animals unleashing a reign of terror at forest-side villages looms large.

The animals have caused damage to crop fields at Adhangapala and Shankarpur villages. The extent of damage is on a moderate scale, said an official.

Effort is on to drive them away from the Champua forest range. The skilled service group of elephant chasers are keeping round-the-clock watch on the animals. The global positioning system (GPS) tracking teams have spotted the movement of these elephants, said an official.

"It's during this time of the year that the act of straying of Jharkhand elephants after covering several miles is often reported. Dense forest cover enriched with fruit-bearing trees such as mangoes and jackfruits attract them to venture into the Keonjhar jungle," he said.

Last year, herds of nearly 50 elephants from Jharkhand had stridden their way to the Champua forest range, wrecking havoc in over a dozen of human settlements. The jumbos had killed also two persons and ravaged several houses at the forest-side villages.

The forest department has warned the villagers not to venture into the elephant-infested forest areas. They have been told to stay alert on possible intrusion of animals and promptly disseminate it to forest personnel.

"The elephant habitat in Jharkhand has shrunk following deforestation. The animals are no more finding it congenial for habitation. As a result, they are migrating to the neighbouring Champua forest in search of food and water. The dense forest in Champua is attracting the elephants from Jharkhand, paving way for the frequent man-elephant conflict in Keonjhar district," said the official.