A wild tusker triggered panic in Nagrakatabusty near the Nagrakata tea estate in Jalpaiguri on Monday morning after leaving Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and entering nearby paddy fields, where it had spent the night eating ripening crops, according to a report by Telegraph India – West Bengal.
The elephant moved out of the sanctuary on Sunday night, crossed the hamlet and reached agricultural land in the tea estate area. Residents said elephants frequently enter farms in the region, particularly after sunset, creating repeated risks for people living and farming along the forest edge.
The latest movement became visible as the tusker approached Nagrakatabusty in the early hours of Monday. A large crowd gathered near the settlement and shouted and hooted at the animal in an attempt to drive it away. The elephant moved around the area for some time before leaving the settlement.
Around 7am, the tusker crossed the Jaldhaka river near the hamlet and returned to Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary. The report did not mention any injuries or direct damage to homes during the incident. Its account focused on the consumption of paddy in the tea estate area and the panic caused by the elephant’s presence near the settlement.
Residents said the problem becomes more severe during the paddy harvesting season, when elephants regularly venture out of Chapramari in search of food. Farmers in the area struggle to protect their crops and often remain awake through the night to guard their fields.
The incident reflects the proximity between forest habitats, tea estates, agricultural fields and settlements in the Nagrakata block. In this landscape, elephant movement can quickly become a public-safety concern when animals cross farmland or approach homes after dark. The reported return of the tusker to Chapramari followed its crossing of the Jaldhaka river near the hamlet on Monday morning.
