Jalpaiguri, August 16 (Siliguri Chronicle) – On Friday morning, teachers of Kalabari Kherkata BFP School, a state-aided primary school in Jalpaiguri district, were in for a shock when they arrived at the campus to prepare for Independence Day celebrations.
“We found the school building damaged, with ransacked furniture. A considerable portion of the food grains that were kept for the midday meal of the students was also missing. Later, we realised that an elephant herd had strayed into the area and ransacked the school in search of fodder,” said a teacher.
According to sources, the herd entered Dakshin Kherkata village in Nagrakata block from the nearby Kherkata forest on Thursday night. The elephants headed straight to the primary school, where they broke doors, damaged chairs and tables, and ate up the rice and other supplies kept for the students’ midday meal.
Villagers said they feared the herd was still roaming nearby. Soon after, a team from the Kherkata forest beat office arrived, took stock of the situation, and assured that the damaged school would be repaired.
