A herd of around 150 wild elephants strayed into villages in Nayagram area of West Midnapore district, triggering panic among locals as the jumbos destroyed paddy fields and flattened huts.
The elephants, which strayed into Kesarrekha village enroute to Nayagram, are being monitored from a distance by forest personnel and members of 'hulla party', the village volunteer elephant chaser squad trained by department officials, forest department sources said.
Efforts are being made to drive away the herd, which included calves, to its habitat tonight, the sources said adding, the number of jumbos was estimated to be around 150.
This was the first time in this season that the pachyderms strayed into the area. The jumbos stray in search of paddy into this belt during winter.
The herd was believed to have strayed from the Tapoban hillock forest range in neighbouring Jharkhand.
