The Forest Department has stepped up measures to monitor the movement of two elephant herds and a lone elephant that had been triggering panic in and around Booluvampatti range for the last two days.
Wild elephants strayed into human habitations on Friday night triggering panic among villagers in Booluvampatti, Narasipuram, Kempanur, Onapalayam and Bommanampalayam and in colonies along the foot hills of Western Ghats near Marudhamalai and IOB Colony.
Villagers spotted two herds, both having sub-adult calves and a lone elephant. Normally, elephants used to take this path for migrating via Thadagam, Periyanaickenpalayam, Karamadai, Kallar and Bhavanisagar to reach Sathyamangalam.
Now, the elephants are holed up in the area because of the presence of farm ponds. Nature enthusiasts blamed the obstructions in the elephant corridor and shortage of fodder in the forest areas as reasons for the animals straying into villages. Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle, V.T. Kandasamy and District Forest Officer M. Senthilkumar has constituted a special team led by Range Officer C. Dinesh Kumar.
More than 40 forest personnel and around four vehicles are to track the elephant herd.
Mr. Dinesh Kumar said that sites have been identified to move the kumki (tamed/ trained) elephants to chase away the elephants if the animals come out of the reserve forest once again. Kumkis Nanjan and Pari are being kept in a state of readiness at the Chadivayal camp.
