Wild elephants wreak havoc in Marghatiya and Baishakha camps, Triggering fear among residents

Kanchanpur: Panic has gripped settlements surrounding Shuklaphanta National Park after wild elephants entered residential areas, destroying homes and damaging standing and ripening wheat crops.

In recent days, a herd of elephants has repeatedly caused destruction in Marghatiya camp and Baishakha camp of Shuklaphanta Municipality-12. Devaki Rana and her husband Dansingh Rana narrowly escaped unharmed after an elephant broke into their house at night. Two days ago, while they were asleep after dinner, they rushed outside upon hearing a loud crash against the wall of their thatched home.

According to Devaki Rana, the elephant broke through the grass fence and entered the house. “It is impossible to say what would have happened if we had not escaped,” she said. She added that the elephant consumed and destroyed two sacks of rice, 10 kilograms of lentils and five kilograms of turmeric that had recently been stored in the house.

Locals reported that a large herd had entered the settlement. While some elephants returned to the park through the settlement, two remained behind, causing damage to houses and crops.

Significant crop losses have also been reported in Baishakha camp. Farmer Bikhlu Chaudhary said elephants have been entering fields at dusk for the past four days. “The wheat has started to sprout, but the elephants are eating it before it can ripen,” he said. According to Chaudhary, his 10-acre wheat crop has been destroyed, while wheat planted on about two bighas of land by eight farmers has been ruined within four days. Residents stated that the elephants enter the fields before dusk and return to the park only in the morning.

Local Avaj Singh Dhami complained that despite informing the ward office and park administration about the situation, no effective action has been taken. “We have to live in fear all night, worrying that they will enter our homes,” he said.

Residents noted that elephant movement increases each year during the harvest season in settlements adjacent to the park, resulting in repeated damage to life and property. Settlement leader Sumla Rana emphasized that while wildlife conservation is important, human safety must also be ensured. “Along with conservation, there must be a reliable security system,” he said.

Locals have called for the immediate implementation of control measures such as electric fencing, solar lights and sirens. They stressed the need for a long-term and effective strategy to reduce human-wildlife conflict, warning that continued inaction could lead to major human casualties as such incidents persist.