Wild jumbos terrorise Malenadu

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Even as officers of the Hassan Forest Department were heaving a sigh of relief after capturing a marauding lone tusker, a group of four jumbos are now raiding villages in Belur taluk damaging coffee and banana plantation causing huge loss to farmers.

These jumbos were moving around like the Dasara elephants do in Mysuru during the ten-day festival, on the main roads of Arehalli Town and nearby temples in thickly populated areas. The four elephants arrived in the morning and spent the whole day in the outskirts feeding on standing crops. The villagers were shocked to see the wild elephants moving casually on village roads. After sunset, the jumbos marched towards Kalgandi village under the cover of darkness.

In the early hours, the villagers got scared hearing the trumpeting of elephants near the mosque. The dogs barked continuously to scare away the visitors. Braving the elephants, people came out of their houses and went to the mosque for prayers. They saw the herd of elephants near the police station situated on Temple Road moving casually without any fear.

The villagers took out mobile phones and started videographing the movement of elephants in their village. Seeing the crowd, two jumbos split from the gang, and walked towards Sakleshpur Road. Two others walked straight into a farm house near the temple.

On receipt of information, forest department personnel came to Arehalli village and tried to shoo away the pachyderms by bursting crackers and beating drums.

For the time being they have left the villages but it is not known if they will return in search of food and foliage later.