Tamil Nadu: Elephant intrusions in residential areas trigger panic
A video of the furious elephant charging at vehicle riders was also circulated on social media. It now started to stray into Bikkaikandi village at night, triggering panic among the villagers.
Wild elephant spotted in a village near Sholur in The Nilgiris
COIMBATORE: Villagers in Sholur in the Nilgiris are gripped in fear as a wild elephant keeps frequenting their neighbourhood.
The elephant had camped in tea estates in Sholur after venturing out from the forest area in Mudumalai. Over the last few days, the elephant attempted to charge at some vehicle riders bound to the village, along a road passing through the tea estate.
A video of the furious elephant charging at vehicle riders was also circulated on social media. It now started to stray into Bikkaikandi village at night, triggering panic among the villagers.
Following persistent demand from villagers, the forest department has stepped up vigil and appealed to villagers to stay cautious at night. The tourists were also advised against stopping their vehicles to take photographs along tea estates to prevent any conflict.
In another incident, two wild elephants that were camping in Kunil Vayal area in Gudalur were driven away by the forest department into the Mudumalai forest area on Wednesday night. The forest department jumped into action after villagers threatened to protest over frequent raids by elephants.
Two days ago, a herd of elephants strayed into farms in Kunil Vayal, causing widespread damage to bitter gourd plants raised in ‘pandals’ (support structures), causing severe financial loss to over five farmers in the neighbourhood. As summer has set in, an official of the forest department claimed that elephants are frequenting residential areas in search of food and water.
