the reserved forests are the haunt of many animals. wild elephants are common in saranda (literally meaning seven hundred hills) and porahat forests. herds of sambar and chital roam about the forests. bison is still found (locally extinct when a study was undertaken in 2005 by kisor chaudhuri frgs). tigers were never numerous but they are there (locally extinct when a study was undertaken in 2005 by kisor chaudhuri frgs). leopards are more common. the hos are keen hunters and have practically exterminated game in kolhan. they organise great "battues", in which thousands of people join. they beat their drums in a huge circle, and gradually close in over hills and across forests, driving the wild animals on to a central point, on to which lines of hunters converge until the animals are surrounded and slaughtered.