Kailash Suyal, Nainital: In the forest area near Ramnagar, adjacent to Jim Corbett Park, a group of wild elephants attacked tourists traveling in a car from Delhi. Forest department rangers promptly arrived at the scene and somehow managed to rescue the tourists from the elephant attack, escorting them safely to their guest house. A warning has been issued by the forest department, stating that a herd of wild elephants is roaming in the area, and hence, it is advised not to pass through from 7 PM to 7 AM.
This incident occurred around 11 PM on Saturday night. Tourists from Delhi, en route to the Patkot Bhalon area under the Kota Range of Ramnagar forest division, were heading towards their hotel located in that vicinity. On the way, a herd of elephants attacked their car in the Bhandarpani area.
Other tourists provided assistance: To escape the sudden attack, the tourists in the car managed to get out and flee. Meanwhile, two more cars carrying tourists were approaching from behind. The tourists who fell victim to the attack sought refuge in these cars. Range officer Ramesh Chandra Dhyan and other forest officials arrived at the scene during this commotion. They, with great difficulty, diverted the elephants towards the jungle, preventing a major catastrophe.
Forest officials on the scene: Sonu Prasad from Delhi, along with more than six tourists in the car, became victims of the elephant attack. Forest officials conducted a safe rescue operation, bringing them to the secure location of the Bhandarpani checkpoint. Later, the forest officials personally ensured their safe return to their resort. Due to the efforts of the forest personnel, a major disaster was averted.
Elephant corridor passage: The forest department emphasizes continuously that people should avoid traveling on this route at night as it is a wildlife corridor area. Additionally, elephants are often seen on the road due to the presence of an elephant corridor. Several incidents like these have been reported in the past. All the tourists expressed gratitude to the forest department, whose prompt action prevented a significant mishap.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Digant Nayak mentioned that this incident occurred around 11:30 PM, involving tourists traveling from Ramnagar to Patkot Bhalon. The elephants attacked them on the road, but fortunately, a major mishap was avoided. Now, the road from Teda Gate in Ramnagar will be closed from 6:30 PM onwards.
