Bhubaneswar, Feb 19: The rogue elephant “Palank,” which had been causing panic in Bharatpur forests, has been safely released into the Satakosia forest range in Angul. The tusker, known for venturing close to human settlements, is now being closely monitored through a fitted radio collar to track its movements.

Palank was transported from Chandaka in a truck and reached Raiguda forests late last night. A medical team examined the elephant’s health in the early hours before releasing it into the wild. Since Palank was tranquilized during the operation, the forest department ensured that the procedure did not affect its well-being.

The release site is located 3–4 km from nearby villages, including Saruali and New Raiguda, where the tusker had previously caused disturbances. The forest department has deployed a dedicated team to monitor Palank and prevent potential conflicts with humans.

The long-troubled tusker, also known as “Ramu Hati,” had repeatedly strayed into Chandaka forest settlements, damaging property and creating panic. To curb further incidents, authorities planned a tranquilization operation, fitting a radio collar to monitor the elephant post-release.

Under the leadership of Chandaka DFO Binod Acharya, a team of around 30 personnel—including forest department staff, OUAT experts, Nandankanan tranquilization team, and SCF officers—tracked Palank for two days before safely completing the operation. After approximately 12 hours of coordinated effort, the elephant was tranquilized, fitted with a radio collar, and transported to Angul forests.

Authorities continue to closely monitor Palank’s movements to ensure it remains within the forest and away from human habitation.