A herd of up to 30 elephants from Morang arrived at the Ratuwamai Tree Plantation Forest near the East-West Highway in Shivasatakshi Municipality on Sunday while returning to India via Jhapa.
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The Division Forest Office has stated that a group of elephants that had arrived in Jhapa have returned to Morang from the Ratuwamai forest area.
According to the head of the office, Bharatbabu Shrestha, a herd of maximum 30 elephants from Morang had reached the Ratuwamai plantation forest near the East-West Highway in Shivasatakshi Municipality on Sunday while returning to India via Jhapa. There were also many elephants in the herd.
'We have received news that a herd of 15 elephants had returned to Morang on Monday,' said Shrestha, head of the Division Forest Office, 'We are constantly monitoring. The herd of elephants that arrived in Ratuwamai was fragmented, some returned to Morang and the rest are confused towards Jhapa.'
It was estimated that the herd of elephants that left the Kanepokhari forest area in Sundarharaincha, Morang on Sunday, including Lavalaskar, had followed the route back to West Bengal, India via Bahundangi Gowda in Jhapa. The elephants, who rested in the local forest throughout the day, would only move after nightfall. But Shrestha said that the elephants were resting in Ratuwamai in Shivasatakshi, Jhapa, and Hamsedumse in Damak's community forest throughout Monday.
Two years ago, a large herd of elephants numbering 50 to 60 had entered Nepal through Prasad Gowda in Bahundangi. Out of them, a maximum of 30 elephants had returned to India after wandering in Nepal for one and a half months. The rest of the elephants were staying in the forest areas of Morang and Sunsari.
After receiving news that the herd of elephants was coming from Morang to Jhapa, the Division Forest Office and the local municipality have adopted extensive security precautions to prevent loss of life and property. The Forest Office had mobilized patrol teams and even miked the public to take precautions.
Wild elephants have been roaming from Assam, India, to the Koshi Tappu region of Nepal. Pregnant elephants entering from India return to India only after raising their calves safely in Nepal. It is said that there are many elephants in the herd that is now returning to India. Forest Office Chief Shrestha urges people to exercise caution until they return to India.
