Elephant Alert in Ramgarh: Herd Approaches National Highway-33, Villages Advised to Stay Indoors

Ramgarh: The forest and environment department has sounded an elephant alert on Thursday evening after a herd of seven jumbos was seen heading towards National Highway-33, which falls in the suburban areas near the Ramgarh town. The herd was part of 18 elephants roaming in the forests of the Chutupalu valley.The administration asked people not to come out of their houses and to take shelter in concrete houses in Kankebar, Bhuda Khukhara, and other villages in the suburban areas. The herd might enter the highway and onto nearby habitations, it said.Nitish Kumar, the Ramgarh divisional forest officer (DFO), said on Friday that the alert was sounded after the herd of elephants moved close to villages along the suburban areas of Ramgarh town, and the herd might also move to the Chutupalu valley.“We asked people in Kankebar and other villages near the Chutupalu valley to stay indoors after sunset and take shelter in concrete houses,” Kumar said. He added that a quick response team was keeping a close eye on jumbo movement.Sewapado Mahto, a local, said people in his village have already taken precautions and avoided coming out of their homes at night.Notably, a herd of violent jumbos killed six people, including a Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) security guard, in a period of three days in Ramgarh district in December 2025. For the first time, Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) stopped coal production at night in the Karna project of the Mandu block for a few days for the safety of the coal workers.