A herd of around 15 wild elephants, including some calves, got stranded in a locality between Binnaguri and Banarhat in the western Dooars under Jalpaiguri district on Monday.

The herd drew hundreds of curious onlookers, locals and tourists, prompting foresters and policemen to stand guard near the site to prevent them from getting close to the elephants.

Sources in the forest department said in the morning, some residents spotted the herd in the Airfield area near Binnaguri and informed the wildlife squad stationed there.

“As the herd could be sighted from adjoining roads, hundreds of people started turning to catch a glimpse of the wild elephants. In fact, some enthusiastic youths even climbed on trees for a better look. To prevent them from getting closer to the herd, our men have been deputed on the spot, along with police personnel,” said a senior forest official.

He said that in the morning, an attempt was made to drive the herd to neighbouring Moraghat forest but eventually, it did not work.

“The herd was moving along the elephant corridor from the Reti forest to Moraghat. But the animals got stuck at a point for some reason or other. We will try to steer the elephants into the forest once it gets dark,” the official added.

Gaur attack

A resident of Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri district got injured by a gaur on Monday morning.

Sources said Dudhia Roy, the victim from Niranjanpath village, had taken his cattle to Sonakhali forest under Moraghat forest range next to his village, for grazing when the gaur came and attacked him.

His screams alerted others to his rescue and he was taken to the rural hospital in Dhupguri and then the super-specialty hospital in Jalpaiguri.

Foresters said it was illegal on Roy’s part to enter a reserve forest area with cattle.

“Time and again we alert people who stay on the fringe areas not to enter the forests. What the villager did was illegal. Cattle cannot be taken into forests for grazing. They should understand that elephants, gaurs and leopards live in these forests,” said Rajkumar Pal, the range officer of Moraghat forest range.