Bid to drive jumbo to forest fails, tusker enters plantation

ERODE: The Forest officials continued the efforts to drive the lone elephant, who entered the farmlands at Gobichettipalayam in Erdoe on Friday, back to the forest for the second day. The animal returned around 25 kilometres on its way but entered a sugarcane plantation after the villagers busted crackers.

A forest department official said, “The lone elephant aged around 15 years entered the sugarcane plantation at Kasipalayam on Friday evening. As we started the efforts to drive it to the forest, the animal stopped at Maaknangombbai on Saturday around 2 am. Our objective is to send the animal back to the Vilampoondi forest area near Bhavanisagar and we were careful not to make it fearful.”

By Saturday evening, the elephant had returned about 25 km the way it had come. It mostly passed through the farmlands along the Bhavani River. “However, as the elephant crossed the river in the Thottampalayam area near Bhavanisagar, six kilometres away from the forest, some villagers shouted at it and busted crackers, following which the animal entered a sugarcane plantation and is not coming out,” he said.

Officers and forest staff from TN Palayam, Kadambur, Sathyamangalam, Vilamboondi and Bhavanisagar forest ranges are involved in driving away the elephant. “Drones are not used because elephants are scared,” said sources.