A wild elephant suspected to be injured has taken shelter in a local forest grove near Balale in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district.
Locals say the elephant seemed to be limping around in a 12-acre forest area close to the Lakshmanatheertha river.
Ranjan Poovaiah, former ZP member, said the Forest Department was informed and it has decided to track the elephant and tranquilize and treat it if necessary.
The elephant apparently was with a herd when it first emerged in the village nearly six months ago. Though the herd returned to the forests, one of them — suspected to be a female — stayed back. “Ever since it was found in the grove, the elephant has stayed close to the lake and is most of the time in the water. When it comes out, it limps towards the vegetation for foraging only to return to the water again,” said Mr. Poovaiah.
Previous case
Last year, another wild elephant, Sidda, which was injured was found close to Bengaluru. Following a hue and cry by wildlife activists, it was decided to treat it. Even the Indian Army extended a helping hand and the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) constructed a metallic structure to help balance the elephant but to no avail.
