PANAJI
There was panic among communities residing in the border villages of Goa and Maharashtra along the Terekhol river since the wee hours of Sunday with a wild elephant which is said to have separated from its herd strayed there.
However, Goa's Chief Conservator of Forests Naveen Kumar, who admitted it has been in the Goa-Maharashtra border area, said there is no evidence that the elephant has crossed the Terekhol river and is well within the territory of Maharashtra.
He said there is no reason for Goans living in those areas to panic and that a Forest department team is camping the area and closely monitoring the elephant's movements in coordination with their counterparts in Maharashtra.
The elephant has got separated and is haphazardly looking to reunite with its herd, another forest official said, adding that knee-jerk action at this point in time could prove to be counter-productive and even dangerous.
The official also said that a team of Maharashtra forest officials is working on guiding the elephant back to its herd and habitat.
Kumar has also urged people residing in the areas bordering Maharashtra and along the course of the Terekhol river to remain alert while avoiding rash actions and panic reactions. He also asked the people not to spread rumours and believe in unverified information.
