SILIGURI,: Panic gripped the Dudhey area under Panighatta Range of Kurseong Forest division on Tuesday when a lone male tusker strayed into residential areas after crossing the Panighatta-Mirik route bridge.
The elephant was first spotted in the hills near the Dudhey Firing Range before making its way towards the highway.
The situation turned tense as the tusker began chasing people and vehicles stopped on the bridge, with onlookers attempting to capture videos on their mobile phones. The incident caused chaos and made it challenging for the Forest officials and local police to disperse the crowd.
Panighatta Forest Ranger Samiran Raj stated, “It was a difficult task to control the crowd despite our efforts and the assistance of local police. Thankfully, the elephant did not harm anyone or cause any property damage.”
After some tense moments, the elephant returned to its natural habitat in the Bamanpokhari Forest Range.
Local resident Sudarshan Subba said, “It was the first time an elephant entered this area. The incident happened around 1 pm and it was a terrifying moment when the elephant suddenly began running after slipping near the bridge.”
