Baripada, Nov. 13: Residents of five villages of Rairangpur area of Mayurbhanj district are spending sleepless nights on trees.

A herd of 18 elephants have so terrorised the villagers of Dambeda, Bijatola, Bhalukichua, Tualsibani and Jadapokhari that many of them have left their homes for safer places. Many others have taken shelter on trees.

"We couldn't sleep last night as the elephants kept trumpeting. The villagers who had gone to the market at Bijatola couldn't return," said Salu Murmu, a villager.

"Some have fled the villages while others have taken shelter on treetops. They are informing us about the herd's movement through mobile phones," he said.

"We are praying to the forest gods so that the elephants leave the area," said another villager.

The herd had killed 58-year-old Birisa Murmu on Monday. Murmu, who was a resident of Upper Bijatola, had gone to chase away the herd, which had entered the area.

Even foresters are scared of the elephants.

"Last night, they trumpeted so much that even we got scared. We are trying to chase them away. They moved towards Suleipat during the drive, but returned again," Forest department official Satyabrata Pattnaik, who was part of the drive in which Murmu had participated, said.

According to forest officials, the herd had sneaked into our area through Badampahad and Suleipat. They have been camping since last week.

The elephants had fled to the forest near Dhusura hill after a drive conducted by the forest department, but has since returned to the area.

"The herd is taking shelter inside the forest during the day but is returning to the village at night," he said.

The herd has also destroyed crops and damaged irrigation infrastructure, villagers said.

Yesterday, angry villagers demonstrated in front of the forest range office at Bijatola, demanding Rs 10 lakh as compensation for Murmu's family. They also demanded measures to drive away the elephants as soon as possible.