Herd of half a dozen elephants walks onto Lalkuan–Rudrapur highway near Pantnagar bypass, long queues of vehicles on both sides; road reopens after they return to Tanda forest

A herd of about half a dozen elephants suddenly came onto the Lalkuan–Rudrapur national highway near the Lalkuan–Pantnagar bypass on Sunday evening and stood in the middle of the road. According to Dainik Bhaskar, this caused long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway and traffic came to a complete halt. According to eyewitnesses, the herd moved about on the highway for quite a while, and two calves with it were seen playing on the road. For safety, drivers stopped their vehicles well away and waited for the elephants to move off on their own. The herd later headed towards the Tanda forest, after which traffic could resume. According to the report, elephants and other wild animals often come onto this road, which runs along the forest; local people and travellers have asked the forest department and the administration to keep a special watch on the route. (Source: Dainik Bhaskar)