Madikeri: A wild elephant that was stuck between a railway barricade was rescued by the forest department officials. The incident was reported at Valnuru-Tyagathuru limits in Kushalnagar taluk.
A female wild elephant aged approximately 25 years had entered into the estate limits at Valnuru-Tyagathuru. It is suspected that the elephant might have successfully crossed the railway barricade to reach the village.
However, while the elephant was returning to the forest zone and was trying to cross the railway barricade, it got stuck between the barricade. The cries of the elephant reached the foresters who rushed to the spot. The foresters unscrewed the barricade and rescued the elephant.
“The elephant was returning to the forest from estates and it got stuck between the poles of the railway barricade. The rescue mission took about 10 minutes,” confirmed the concerned RFO. He added that the elephant waded through River Cauvery after the rescue operation to reach the forest.
Meanwhile, Valnur-Tyagathuru village is affected by increased conflict with the wild elephants. While railway barricades have been placed along the forest fringe, the elephants outdo the barricades and risk their lives to move across the estates. The villagers demanded scientific addressing of the issue to curb the conflict.