File picture of elephants in Nilgiri

Balasore, Dec. 16: Residents of Mayurbhanj heaved a sigh of relief as the elephant herd, which had been moving around the district for more than a week, crossed the border last night.

The herd consisting of about 110 elephants spent about three weeks in Mayurbhanj and Balasore before entering Bengal.

The group was sighted last in Patharath under Kesrath range of the Midnapore forest division today morning, said a forest official.

“There have been attempts from our side to chase the herd out of the district, and last night, we succeeded,” said Rasgobindpur forest range officer Dillip Barik.

“Before leaving the area, the elephants injured two persons, besides damaging houses and crops,” he said.

Forest officials of Balasore and Mayurbhanj are, however, still alert as a group of four from the herd is still at Nilagiri and wrecking havoc quite often.

Betnoti range officer Basanta Mohanty said: “A group of four is left behind. Till it crosses the district, we have to remain alert.”

Divisional forest officer Sanjay Swain said: “After a lot of efforts, we could succeed in sending them out. The herd damaged about 30 houses, besides paddy crop. The affected persons would be compensated, according to the rule, after their enumeration.”

Elephants from the Dalma sanctuary of Jharkhand have been making seasonal migration to Balasore via Bengal and Mayurbhanj since past few years.

They come up to Nilagiri and the Kuldhia sanctuary of Balasore district.

Though the Mayurbhanj forest department has erected solar fence, besides digging trenches in some patches, yet they prove hardly fruitful to check the entry of jumbos.