Wild elephants spread havoc across Darjeeling tea estates

Wild elephants spread havoc across Darjeeling tea estates
Navhind Times
October 27, 2006

Darjeeling, Oct 26: A herd of 15 wild elephants has been destroying crops in tea estates across Darjeeling.The elephants, which inhabit the forests nearby, often come out of the thick vegetation into fields and tea estates in Darjeeling.

Pushed back into the ever-smaller pockets of jungle and with limited access to their traditional habitats, elephants have been coming into daily conflict with plantation workers.
But this time around, the elephants have caused extensive damage to the Pahaughomiah Tea Estate and houses nearby.

“Today at five in the morning more than 15 elephants came here, but two have gone now, I think 13 are left. This problem has been there for quite some time, but today it was peculiar. By the evening, people get tense about what will happen, as the elephants come daily,” said Mr Biplab Pal, a local.

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