Wild elephants raid Jhapa, damage homes & crops
Ganesh Basnet said three elephants entered his house during the night, partially damaging the main house and completely destroying the kitchen.
KATHMANDU: A herd of wild elephants entered several villages in Jhapa district on Thursday, damaging three houses and destroying crops and physical property worth hundreds of thousands of rupees in a single day.
According to District Police Office spokesperson Khagendra Bahadur Khadka, the elephants damaged a tin-roofed house belonging to Ganesh Basnet in Bagale Tole, Ward No. 3 of Kamal Rural Municipality; a one-storey concrete kitchen of Rishi Bhattarai at Danphe Chowk, Ward No. 7 of Bhadrapur Municipality; and a tin-roofed mud house owned by Tanka Baraili in Kisanbhitta, Ward No. 8 of Birtamod Municipality.
Ganesh Basnet said three elephants entered his house during the night, partially damaging the main house and completely destroying the kitchen.
The elephants consumed four man of paddy and four man of maize flour, while clothes, utensils and furniture were also damaged.
The total loss at his house is estimated at around Rs 100,000, police said.
In Bhadrapur, the destruction of Rishi Bhattarai’s house and kitchen caused losses estimated at Rs 22,000, according to police.
Similarly, in Birtamode, damage to Tank Baraili’s house and crops resulted in losses of around Rs 45,000.
Police spokesperson Khadka said the elephants broke through the bamboo walls of Baraili’s single-storey mud house and entered the storage room, where they consumed eight quintals of paddy and one quintal of rice.
Local residents have expressed concern over the recurring intrusion of wild elephants into settlements, calling for effective measures to prevent further damage and ensure human safety.
