Team Goemkarponn
PERNEM: A 10-year-old wild elephant named ‘Omkar’, separated from its herd, has kept forest authorities in Goa and Maharashtra on edge after straying into the fields of Tambose village in Pernem taluka.
The tusker, which has been wandering through banana, coconut, and paddy plantations, has caused damage and triggered panic among villagers.
The Goa Forest Department, with support from its Maharashtra counterpart, has launched round-the-clock operations to track and guide the elephant back to its natural habitat. Officials are employing drone surveillance and monitoring footprints to trace the animal’s movement, while simultaneously working to prevent any confrontation with locals.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government has directed the forest authorities to prioritise the elephant’s safety and ensure its safe passage back to Maharashtra. “Our Forest Department is working with Maharashtra. Clear directions have been issued to ensure the animal returns to its habitat. All efforts should be made for that purpose,” Sawant told The Goan.
Forest officers acknowledged that the situation remains delicate. “Omkar is wild and currently roaming in fields. Our immediate concern is to avoid any man-animal conflict. If the natural return route fails, we will have to consider other alternatives,” an official explained.
The elephant, notorious in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district where it was allegedly linked to the death of a farmer, has crossed into Goa twice in the past week—first through Mopa and later through Tambose. Each time, villagers across the border drove it back, forcing the animal into Goa’s territory again.
With tensions rising in the border belt, forest teams are intensifying efforts to de-escalate the situation and reunite ‘Omkar’ with its herd in Maharashtra in the coming days.
