Chhattisgarh elephants knock down hostel boundary wall in Marwahi, crowds gathering for selfies raise safety fears

RAIPUR: A herd of wild elephants wandering through residential pockets of Chhattisgarh's Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district knocked down a school hostel boundary wall in Marwahi, while residents mainly youths can be seen dangerously close to the pachyderm, in viral videos, raising concerns over their own safety. The four-elephant herd had been under observation since entering the Marwahi region earlier this week. Forest officials said the giants approached a hostel campus under the Marwahi forest range and knocked down a concrete wall before moving on. No injuries were reported.The video shot clearly shows an elephant pushing down a concrete wall and moving on its desired way. Residents said the wall collapsed within seconds after the elephants approached the campus, causing panic among people in the vicinity. Visuals from the area showed damaged sections of the boundary structure and large numbers of onlookers gathering to watch the animals.The same herd was spotted a day earlier near the housing board residential colony in Marwahi, indicating that the animals have been repeatedly moving through populated areas in search of food and water.Wildlife experts had on several occasions attributed such movements to shrinking food availability and water stress inside forests during the summer months. Drawn by stored grain, crops and water sources, elephant herds often venture into villages and townships, increasing the chances of human-elephant encounters.Officials expressed greater concern over the behaviour of spectators than the movement of the elephants themselves. Hundreds of residents gathered at different locations to watch the herd, with many attempting to record videos and photographs from close range.Forest personnel warned that crowding around wild elephants can provoke unpredictable reactions and increase the risk of injury or fatalities. Teams from the forest department have been deployed to monitor the herd's movement and prevent people from approaching the animals. Public announcements are being made in nearby localities advising residents to maintain a safe distance, avoid chasing or provoking the elephants, and immediately inform authorities about their movement.Human-elephant conflict remains a growing concern in several parts of Chhattisgarh. Forest officials said the priority at present is to safely guide the herd away from densely populated areas while ensuring that curious crowds do not put themselves in harm's way.