COIMBATORE: After lying low for a while, a wild elephant popularly called as Baahubali returned to human habitation in Mettupalayam and feasted on watermelons kept for sale in a roadside shop in the wee hours on Monday. A video of the incident was widely circulated.
Forest department staff said the elephant crossed the Mettupalayam - Ooty NH at 1 am and feasted on watermelons that were kept for sale near a fuel station. Staff from the fuel station and motorists stopped their vehicles and captured the video. Also, they shouted loudly to stop Baahubali from further damaging the shop.
“The animal may have consumed at least eight watermelons in 15 minutes. I did not disturb the animal and let it eat the fruits. People passing by stopped the animal. Mettupalayam forest range staff diverted the animal inside the Odanthurai reserve forest,” said the shopkeeper.
Forest department sources said the animal did not damage any other shop in the area.
In another incident, a tusker entered a residential area at Navavoor near Vadavalli on Sunday night. After noticing the animal, a stray dog started barking at it. It went into the forest after seeing the headlights of a car that was coming towards it.