MADIKERI: A herd of at least 11 wild elephants that had strayed into private estates was successfully driven back into the forest in the Maldare region after a coordinated operation lasting over three hours on Wednesday.
More than 30 forest personnel participated, during which the elephants moved through coffee estates before being guided back into the forest. The drive was led by Range Forest Officer (RFO) Sachin and carried out under the supervision of Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Gopal.
The operation began early in the morning across Nellihudikeri and Arekadu areas, following repeated complaints from villagers about increased elephant movement and crop damage.
Forest staff from the Kushalnagar used firecrackers to steer them away. The presence of calves in the herd made the task more challenging. Despite the difficulties, the team eventually succeeded in driving the herd back into the Maldare forest area.
However, farmers expressed concern over the method used, stating that such chasing operations often lead to greater crop damage. “The chasing drives sometimes cause more destruction as the elephants run in panic through the estates,” said M Salim, a grower from the region. They have urged the forest department to adopt more scientific and sustainable methods to manage the situation.