Elephants entered Press Enclave, a residential area near Kovaipudur, on Sunday.
They returned to the nearby forest only after the Forest Department staff rushed to the spot and chased the animals using firecrackers.
The operation also saw Shanmugam, an Anti-Poaching Watcher, injure his right thumb while bursting firecrackers.
The Department sources said they received a call from the residents saying a herd and a lone elephant had entered the area.
While the herd of three moved towards Arivoli Nagar, the lone, male elephant moved into Press Enclave, damaged banana and mango trees there.
V. Ramanathan, one of the residents, said the lone tusker entered his house around 3 a.m. by breaking one of the three gates.
It feasted on the banana trees for over 20 minutes. The elephant also pulled down a branch of the mango tree.
It moved into his house after entering two of his neighbours’ houses.
A little after the animal entered his house, the Forest Department staff came there to chase the pachyderm.
The staff sounded a siren and then fired firecrackers, which saw the elephant running towards the nearby forest.
It was the first time, in the recent past, that the locality had witnessed the elephants’ entry, Mr. Ramanathan added.
The Department sources also said Mr. Shanmugam underwent a surgery at a private hospital earlier in the day and was doing fine.
