Tirupattur Collector leads ops to guide jumbos to K’giri forest

VELLORE: Tirupattur Collector D Baskara Pandian accompanied by SP K Balakrishnan led a 100-plus-member team of forest, revenue, police, and panchayat officials to drive two male wild elephants into deep forests in neighbouring Krishnagiri district.

“The pachyderms had strayed into the jungles in Tirupattur district and lost track. The two wild elephants had been moving in a haphazard manner to various places over the last two days,” Baskara Pandian told DT Next.

Stating that the animals had not harmed anybody in Tirupattur district, he said, “All they needed was safe passage to Krishnagiri district and whenever people tried to thwart their progress they returned to the forests within the district.”

Continued reports of the animals behaving aggressively were not borne out, he said and added that the operation should have succeeded when the pachyderms attempted to cross the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway at Jangalapuram near Natrampalli for which nearly a 100-metre-wide opening was made in the metal fencing abutting the road.

“However, scared by the actions of locals the animals changed direction and returned to the district forests. We tried to guide the jumbos thrice out of the district, but a huge crowd of spectators shouting, throwing water bottles and stones at the animals spoiled our efforts,” he said.

Finally, Baskara Pandian took to social media and requested the cooperation of the public in allowing officials to do their job and not to scare or harm the animals. He also formed a WhatsApp group for panchayat presidents in the area and asked them to inform him if they spot the animals within their limits.

Meanwhile, a 20-member RRT (Rapid Response Team) of the forest department also arrived and aided the efforts of the officials.

Asked if he planned an awareness programme to educate the public on not irritating wild animals, the Collector said, “Every meeting on avoiding plastics use includes lessons on nature and wildlife and I explain the connection between humans and nature, including wild animals.”

The Collector informed DT Next that the elephants were at the foot of the Yelagiri hills on Monday morning and in all probability would traverse the hill and enter neighbouring Tiruvannamalai district soon.

Following unconfirmed reports of wild elephants trampling some villagers to death on Sunday night had triggered huge panic in hamlets bordering the forests.