Alipurduar Tusker Creates New Year Panic in Madarihat; Locals Housebound

• A stray tusker entered residential areas of Madarihat's Gopalpur on New Year's Day morning, causing widespread panic.
• Residents were forced to stay indoors, disrupting daily life and work, including operations at a local tea garden.
• A video showing the elephant charging at dogs and roaming freely has gone viral on social media.
• Locals suspect the elephant strayed from a herd seen previously and informed the Jaldapara Forest Department.
• The elephant has been eating betel nut and banana trees but has not yet attacked homes; residents fear frequent elephant menace.

Why It Matters: Stray elephant causes New Year's Day chaos in Alipurduar, forcing residents indoors and halting work.