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Three tusker elephants emerge from nearby jungles after dusk, targeting stacked rice sacks. Guards in groups of three or four scan the treeline with torches and make noises to deter them, but the animals often sneak through or charge in, grabbing sacks with trunks and tusks before retreating to eat.
On a recent night witnessed by reporters, one elephant consumed 1-2 sacks before two others hid in bushes nearby. When crowds thinned, they advanced again, carrying off more until around 3 am.
Forest staffer Vijay Singh Thakur said the trio has visited nightly for days, crossing boundaries repeatedly despite efforts to chase them.
Raigarh SDO Manmohan Mishra confirmed monitoring since the centre opened, noting elephants sometimes arrive by 7 pm or twice a night. Compensation assessments are underway.
The district hosts 40-45 elephants, including calves that stay back; only adult males raid.
Such conflicts rise during harvest season as paddy attracts herds from shrinking habitats.
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