NILGIRIS: For the third consecutive day, two kumki elephants have been engaged to prevent a makhna elephant from entering residential areas in Chelukkady near Gudalur on Monday.
Following complaints from residents and farmers about the frequent movement of the makhna elephant, which has been damaging banana plantations and venturing close to residential areas, Gudalur forest officials deployed the kumki elephants, Wasim and Jambu, to drive away the makhna and other wild elephants.
“We commenced the drive-away operation on Saturday morning, as the makhna had entered the area during the day. We have instructed people to avoid venturing out. Since then, we have been keeping the makhna within the Needle Rock forest area,” said a forest department official.
A Gudalur forest official said the operation is being carried out only during the daytime to prevent further conflict. “More than 25 staff are working across the range to prevent the makhna and other wild elephants from entering residential areas and agricultural lands,” the official added.
Meanwhile, residents of Fourth Mile near Gudalur staged a protest demanding that the forest department take effective measures to prevent the intrusion of wild elephants.
“We are afraid to even go to nearby schools and shops because elephants are frequently coming out of the forest during the daytime. We will continue our protest if the issue is not resolved in the coming days,” said one of the protesters.