📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Duke of W4
Agriculture
Around 30 Elephants Roam into Shahdol, Ravage Paddy Fields and Destroy Huts
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 17 Oct 2026, 08:01 PM
👁 12
A herd of roughly 30 elephants from Bandhavgarh forests entered Shahdol district, damaging rice crops in Bedra, Kothiya and Ghorasha villages and breaking two huts.
A herd of about thirty elephants moved from the Bandhavgarh forest area into Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, according to local reports. The animals entered the Godawal region, reaching the villages of Bedra, Kothiya and Ghorasha, where they trampled standing paddy crops and caused noticeable agricultural loss.
The sudden incursion also resulted in the destruction of two mud huts, leaving the affected families displaced and raising concerns about human‑wildlife conflict in the area. Authorities have been alerted, and forest officials are monitoring the situation to prevent further damage.
The incident follows a recent case of an elephant death in the nearby Currant area, which residents say has heightened tensions between locals and wildlife. Officials are expected to deploy additional patrols and explore non‑lethal deterrent measures to guide the herd back toward its natural habitat.
Local administration has urged villagers to remain cautious and report any further sightings, while also coordinating with the forest department to safeguard both human lives and the elephants.
The event underscores the growing challenges of managing wildlife corridors in central India, especially during the cropping season when food sources for both humans and animals overlap.
The sudden incursion also resulted in the destruction of two mud huts, leaving the affected families displaced and raising concerns about human‑wildlife conflict in the area. Authorities have been alerted, and forest officials are monitoring the situation to prevent further damage.
The incident follows a recent case of an elephant death in the nearby Currant area, which residents say has heightened tensions between locals and wildlife. Officials are expected to deploy additional patrols and explore non‑lethal deterrent measures to guide the herd back toward its natural habitat.
Local administration has urged villagers to remain cautious and report any further sightings, while also coordinating with the forest department to safeguard both human lives and the elephants.
The event underscores the growing challenges of managing wildlife corridors in central India, especially during the cropping season when food sources for both humans and animals overlap.