Kaliabor: Three families in the Ranglu Paharguri area of Kaliabor narrowly escaped death after a wild elephant strayed out of Kaziranga National Park and destroyed their houses during the early hours of the morning.
According to local sources, the elephant went on a rampage and completely demolished the houses belonging to Parbati Devi, Gopal Thakur and Pradeshwari Vaishnav. The families managed to flee their homes just in time, escaped with their lives, but lost all their belongings. The houses were completely damaged, leaving the victims with only the clothes they were wearing.
The sudden attack created panic among villagers, who described the incident as terrifying. Residents said such incidents have become more frequent in recent months, especially during the seasonal movement of elephants from the nearby Kaziranga National Park. Kaliabor, being close to the park boundary, remains highly vulnerable to human-elephant conflict.
The affected families have appealed to the government and forest department for immediate compensation and rehabilitation support. They said rebuilding their lives would be difficult without timely assistance.
The incident has also raised questions about the effectiveness of the state government’s Gajmitra scheme, which aims to reduce human–elephant conflict by creating awareness, protecting elephant corridors and preventing animals from entering human settlements. Locals claimed that despite the scheme being active in the area, elephant incursions continue to pose a serious threat.
Forest department officials are yet to issue an official statement on the incident or clarify whether the affected families will receive compensation under existing wildlife damage relief norms.
Meanwhile, villagers have requested authorities to strengthen preventive measures, increase night patrols and take immediate steps to ensure the safety of people living along the forest fringe areas near Kaziranga National Park.