Kalinganagar: Amid death of four persons within a week due to elephant attack at Danagadi in Jajpur district, locals Monday staged a road blockade in protest against failure of Forest officials to ward off the animal.
According to sources, a wild tusker had entered the village a few days ago and went on a rampage destroying standing crops and several houses. The pachyderm also killed at least four persons and injured more than 15 persons.
Despite the complaint, the Forest officials could not capture the animal. The locals Monday held up traffic at military Chhak in the block demanding the capture of the tusker.
Vehicular movement on Kalinganagar-Jajpur road was severely affected during the protest.
Later, on being informed additional superintendent of police Rajkishore Dora and two police teams from Rajpurroad and Jakhpur police stations reached the spot and dissuaded the locals from blocking the road, according to the latest reports.
The police assured the locals they would try to tranquilise the elephant at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the Forest department officials have taken the help of a drone camera to trace out the elephant in Dhuligad Jungle.
The officials have also set a camp at Dhuligad to tranquilise the tusker but failed to succeed in their bid. A team officials from Nandankana Zoo in Bhubaneswar has also reached the jungle to tranquilise the jumbo.
PNN