51 Elephants cross road, video goes viral
Massive herd moves into Chhal forest
Raigarh | Correspondent: A video showing a massive herd of elephants crossing a road in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district has gone viral on social media. The herd, consisting of 51 elephants, was moving from the Kharsia range towards the Chhal forest division when it crossed the road between Barbhauna and Edu villages.
To ensure the animals crossed safely, the Forest Department temporarily stopped traffic from both sides of the road. After the entire herd passed, vehicles were allowed to resume movement.
The herd included adult males, females and several calves. Villagers who gathered at the spot recorded the rare sight on their mobile phones. The viral video shows one elephant stepping onto the road first, followed by the rest of the herd crossing in a line before disappearing into the forest.
The movement of the herd comes a day after the carcass of an elephant calf was found near the Mand River in the Kharsia range. Forest officials believe the calf may have belonged to the same herd that had been roaming the area for the past few days.
According to the Forest Department, a total of 76 elephants are currently present in the Chhal forest division. The largest group is the 51-member herd in the Edu area, which includes 12 male elephants, 33 females and six calves.
Elephant movement has also been reported in the villages of Hati, Kudekela, Chhal, Banhar, Oranara, Bojia, Beharamara, Galimara, and Purunga.
Chhal Ranger Rajesh Chauhan said forest teams are closely monitoring the elephants and keeping villagers informed. Residents of nearby villages have been advised to remain alert and avoid venturing close to the herd.
