Wild elephant damages crops near Pilibhit Tiger Reserve; forest dept on alert

Pilibhit (UP), Aug 21 (PTI) A wild elephant has been damaging crops in the villages bordering the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Thursday.

The elephant, which strayed from the core Mala range of the tiger reserve a few days ago, has been frequently entering the fields in Sirsa, Sardah, Goyal Colony and Mahua, trampling sugarcane and paddy crops, locals claimed.

"We are monitoring the elephant's movement and working to guide it back to its territory," Manish Singh, Deputy Director, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, said.

According to the villagers, the elephant has destroyed dozens of acres of crops with farmers desperately trying to protect their fields by staying up all night, lighting torches, and beating drums to scare the animal away. COR CDN ARI