Wild elephants cause chaos at Kaptai guesthouse

A herd of wild elephants caused damage to a government rest house at Kaptai upazila in Rangamati early Monday, possibly driven by a shortage of food in their natural habitat.

The guesthouse, managed by the LPC branch of the Bangladesh Forestry Development Corporation, now displays signs of destruction, with shattered doors, windows, and a severely damaged kitchen, Bilas Kumar Biswas, deputy manager of the branch, told The Business Standard.

Eyewitnesses reported that the wild elephants entered the guesthouse premises at around 3am and stayed there for about two hours, with their rampage extending to nearby areas, including a banana plantation.

"The terrified occupants of the guesthouse sought refuge on the second floor as the elephants ransacked their surroundings. The fear of potential future attacks remains in the area," Bilas Kumar added.

Forest officials attribute the unusual behaviour of the elephants to a possible shortage of food in their natural habitat.

Abu Sufian, Kaptai range officer of Rangamati South Forest Division, said the wild elephants have recently given birth in the deep forest of Kaptai and they might have ventured into the area due to a lack of food in the forest.

Meanwhile, the frequency of such elephant attacks has created panic among residents.

Range Officer Abu Sufian said the forest department is actively addressing the issue, exploring measures to enhance the security of the local population and manage the human-elephant conflict in the region.

He said, "Authorities are working to strike a balance that can ensure the well-being of both the community and the wild elephants amid these challenging circumstances."

Recently, a grocery shop owner filed a general dairy with the Anowara Police Station in Chattogram complaining that a herd of wild elephants vandalised his shop.