Bardiya, February 29:

Electric fences have been set up around villages adjoining Bardiya National Park to keep wild elephants from straying into human habitat and creating terror there.

Park warden Phanindra Kharel said the step was taken after a torrent of complaints about elephants straying into villages and demolishing houses began pouring in. Most of the depredations by elephants occur at night, he added.

Claiming that the wild elephant menace had lessened greatly, Kharel said, “We don’t activate the fences during the day. Elephants trying to barge into the nearby villages are forced to

return to the park after getting a mild shock.”

Villagers in Thakurdwara, Shivpur and Suryapatuwa VDCs said they were greatly troubled by wild animals. They added that this year wild elephants had demolished more than 60 houses and devoured crops on 150 bighas of land. Lotan Chaudhari of Thakurdwara VDC said the elephant menace was reduced after the electric fence was installed.