Around 2.30 a.m. on Monday, the security guard posted at Good Earth Malhar in Kambipura sat frozen in his seat as an elephant walked past him in the residential layout. Footage retrieved from CCTVs showed the elephant lumber past him, take a turn and disappear into the night. The video of the incident started getting circulated widely later in the day.
But residents of the project said it was not unusual to spot elephants in the area.
“This area is known to be an elephant corridor and they do use this route from Bannerghatta towards Tumakuru. In the process, they cross Mysuru Road, Kanakapura, and Savandurga. It’s an annual migration for them. Occasionally, we also have a herd passing through,” said Chayant Gonsalves, a resident of Good Earth Malhar.
He also said in the morning, one of the residents found a wall broken in the area. It is suspected that the elephant may have broken it. “There have been instances of elephants crossing Mysuru Road earlier too,” he added.
In January 2019, a herd crossing NICE Road made headlines.
Nikhil Tiwari, another resident, said the elephant appeared to be wet, indicating that it could have crossed the Vrushabhavathy river. “We see this in January. It appears to be an ancient corridor where development has happened,” he added.
Residents suspect that the elephant returned towards Bannerghatta going by the route it is seen taking in the video.
