Herd of seven elephants has been straying out of forest cover for last one week
Herd of elephants have caused crop damages but haven't done any harm to people
Coimbatore: Forest department staff have launched an intensive drive to chase back a herd of elephants that frequently stray into farm lands in the Boluvampatty forest range in Coimbatore.A herd of seven elephants has been straying out of the forest cover for the last one week. They venture into areas like Devarayapuram, Thaliyur and Marudamalai surroundings during nights and retreat into forests in the mornings, said C. Dinesh Kumar, range officer, Boluvampatty range.
Though the elephants were causing crop damages, they haven't done any harm to people. "But we do not want to take chances. The elephant herd was tracked in Thadagam area. We will attempt to drive them towards Satyamangalam forests," he said.
All the elephants in the herd are female and sub adults. "The pachyderms may be straying out in search of water as the rainfall has not been adequate and not widespread," Mr Dinesh Kumar said.
The straying elephants, had on 6 October smashed the compound wall of a house near Thondamuthur. A lone tusker, which got separated from a herd, had raided a PDS shop at Theenampalayam, while another herd of elephants damaged a ration shop at Kalikkanaickanpalayam area a week ago. The villagers and forest department staff had then chased away the elephants by bursting crackers.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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