Check how Uttar Pradesh villages use fake lion roars to keep elephants away in Sonbhadra

 As the villagers and forest officials tried to shoo them away, the enraged elephants trampled forest official Ram Daras to death. 
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

LUCKNOW: A herd of tuskers, having lost its way, ventured into the villages situated on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in Sonbhadra district creating havoc by trampling crops, hutments and even humans leaving behind a trail of destruction.

This saga has been continuing for over a month now. Sirsioti, Bayeerhawa and Naniyagarh villages under Gobha gram panchayat on UP-MP border, were the first ones to bear the brunt of ‘jumbo’ ire when a herd comprising dozens of berserk elephants had entered the villages spelling doom.

 As the villagers and forest officials tried to shoo them away, the enraged elephants trampled forest official Ram Daras to death. 

The villagers are petrified and their plight has made them strike a novel idea to get relief from recurring devastation to life and property by marauding elephants. To chase the tuskers away, now the villagers have started playing the recording of a lion’s roar on the loudspeaker during the nights. 

The tactic has been successful in warding off the menacing tuskers so far. 

“As per the reports, this innovation has really worked and there is some relief from the havoc these elephants used to create at least for now,” said a senior forest official of the Varanasi division.

As per a wildlife expert AN Singh, the elephant has a basic instinct to avoid a face-off with the lion. So on hearing its roar, they may be pushing off to the forest area moving away from the place sensing a confrontation.

Like Sirsioti, Bayeerhawa and Naniyagarh, the elephants have been bringing devastation to many other villages including Nawatola, Dumarhar, Bichiyari, Rampakurar and Magramad in Babhani area of the Sonbhadra district in the recent past. 

Last Sunday, the wild elephants entered the villages during the night from the forest area and trampled a youth to death leaving two others injured in Dumarhar village. 

As per sources, the herd of over two dozen elephants surrounded a house in Rampakurar village recently. When villagers tried to drive them away, the elephants trampled 25-year-old Rajendra Gond to death. Locals informed the forest team about the presence of the elephants in the village.

As the team reached the village, the locals played a recording of a lion’s roar. Hearing it, the elephants retreated into the forest in no time. A senior forest officer said that vigil in the border area villages has been increased and the forest teams patrolled the area the whole night.

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