This is the moment a large alpha male elephant steps in to keep villagers at bay and create a safe passage for its herd to pass.<br /><br />Villagers near Nilgiri forest in Balasore district of Odisha, India, woke up to the sound of a large elephant herd passing in the vicinity at 5 am on November 14.<br /><br />They saw a herd of 100-plus elephants marching through their farms. Fearing that the herd will damage their crops and homes, they made a loud noise to chase the animals away.<br /><br />The din split the herd and a small group, which was afraid to cross the road in the presence of villagers, was left behind. <br /><br />Seeing that the group was afraid of the villagers, a large alpha male charged at the villagers and pushed them back. <br /><br />It held its ground for nearly half an hour and retreated only after the separated group joined the main herd. <br /><br />A local resident Sambit Raut said: “Forest officials arrived on time to manage both the villagers and animals. They prevented the confrontation from escalating.”
