Monday was a harrowing day for tourists bound for the hill station of Nelliampathy with a wild tusker blocking traffic for several hours at Kaikatty. The elephant was found close to the Ayyappa temple at Kaikatty around 11.30 a.m. It remained there till 2.30 p.m. obstructing traffic on the Nenmara-Nelliampathy route, the only link of the hill station with the outside world. More than 100 tourist vehicles and two KSRTC buses were stranded on the road till forest officers burst crackers to scare away the elephant. — Special Correspondent