KOLAR/MALUR: A herd of 20 wild elephants has been creating panic in border areas of Kolar district for the past many days. The wild elephants killed a contract forest worker and a temple purohit on Monday. Although forest officials are making efforts to chase away the elephants to the Tamil Nadu forest zone, they are finding it tough as the herd of 20 divided into two groups of four and 16, confusing forest officials in Malur.
On Wednesday, Akram, a villager, went to see the elephants and sustained a head injury following which he was immediately shifted to SNR Hospital and later to Bengaluru since the injuries were severe.
Kolar Deputy Conservator of Forests Chakrapani reiterated several times that the herd was chased upto the forest area of Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu but at night, it returned to the district. As many as 30 forest officials were put on night duty to chase away the elephants to the state’s border.
“This has been going on for many days. In the morning, the villagers living nearby take photographs and disturb the animals, inconveniencing the officials. A crowd gathers and 200 people shout together, disturbing the herd,” he said.
Chakrapani said the herd of elephants has split into two groups. “Sometimes it moves together and at other times, the groups move separately which makes it difficult to chase away them,” he said.
With inputs from Malur Rajesh Shetty.