NILGIRIS: The Nilgiris Forest Division temporarily closed Doddabetta Peak to tourists on Sunday following the movement of a wild elephant in the area.
A wild elephant entered the same region in the first week of May last year, forcing authorities to shut the tourist spot for two days. However, forest officials clarified that the current animal is not the same one spotted in 2025.
The elephant was found in the forest near Doddabetta Peak - a prominent tourist destination situated at an altitude of 2,637 metres above sea level - on Saturday evening. The sighting of the animal shocked the locals, wildlife activists, and forest personnel.
After locals captured videos of the elephant and alerted authorities, forest officials rushed to the spot and drove away the animal back into the forest.
A forest department official said, "The sub-adult male elephant appears to have reached Doddabetta from Coonoor, crossing several villages without causing damage to private or government property. We are tracking the animal using a drone. Around 15 staff members have been engaged to avoid any untoward incident. Efforts were underway to divert the animal deeper into the forest after dark."
The elephant seen here last year had returned to Coonoor after four days. While some locals suspect the same elephant has re-entered the area, officials maintain that it is a different one.
According to N Sadiq Ali, the founder of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT), the elephant may have been attracted by potato crops being harvested in the Doddabetta region.
"Our concern is that prolonged feeding on potatoes could harm the elephant's digestive system, especially due to pesticide use by farmers," he said.
He has also urged residents and farmers in the surrounding areas to cooperate with forest officials and avoid approaching or chasing the animal for photographs as such actions could lead to human-wildlife conflict.