Gudalur forest officials are using kumkis from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to chase away an elephant raiding crops and posing a risk to members of the public in Pakanna village in Bitherkad Forest Range.
C. Manoharan, Bitherkad Forest Range Officer, said that the elephant, damaged a motorcycle, and injured a person in the last two months at Pakanna, and Puthur Vayal.
As a result, residents were petitioning the District Collector, and the forest department, demanding that the elephant be chased away.
“In order to prevent any such incidents from occurring, and safeguarding both residents as well as the animal, the District Forest Officer has taken an initiative to chase away the elephant into a reserve forest,” added Mr. Manoharan.
The Gudalur District Forest Officer, P.K. Dileep, has instructed forest staff, including watchers to keep a tab on the elephant. Forest department officials said that the elephant was part of a herd of three animals in the area. But only the others were not venturing into human habitations.
On Friday, two kumkis from the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, Cheran and Mudumalai, were brought to the area. The herd was not seen throughout the day. Forest staff said that operations would begin if the herd ventures out of the reserve forests.
