Elephant Creates Chaos at Residential School in Chatra
Students, teachers, and staff members of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Chatra experienced a terrifying ordeal in the early hours of Saturday when a wild elephant forcefully entered the school campus. The incident occurred around 2 am when the elephant emerged from a nearby forest and knocked down a portion of the boundary wall, gaining access to the residential school premises.
Panic and Safety Measures
As soon as the elephant entered the campus, chaotic scenes unfolded. Approximately 100 students studying in classes VI through XII, along with teachers living in the hostels, immediately locked themselves in their rooms out of fear. The school management confirmed that despite the panic, no injuries were reported as all students were safely inside the hostel buildings during the incident.
Property Damage and School Response
Once inside the campus, the pachyderm caused significant damage to school property. The elephant damaged football goalposts and ripped off practice nets in the playground. School authorities estimated the damages to be several lakhs of rupees. A teacher from the institution noted that this was the first time an elephant had damaged the boundary wall and entered the campus, highlighting the unusual nature of the incident.
Police and Forest Department Intervention
Awadhesh Singh, the officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, stated that a police team promptly reached the school upon receiving information about the intrusion. Using torches and firecrackers, authorities launched an operation to drive the elephant away from the school premises. After nearly two hours of effort post-midnight, the animal was safely pushed back toward the forest.
Enhanced Security Measures
The forest department has advised the school management to remain alert and maintain strict vigilance during night hours. Although the elephant has returned to the forest, officials are continuing patrols in the area to prevent it from re-entering the campus or nearby residential zones. Security around the school has been intensified to ensure student safety. Interestingly, the elephant was photographed in a village outside the town, roughly three kilometers from the school, on Saturday morning.
The incident has raised concerns about wildlife-human conflict in the region, particularly around educational institutions. School authorities are now reviewing their security protocols and boundary protections to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
