Malappuram: On Monday night, an elephant fell unconscious on farmland bordering Karimpuzha near Nilambur after suffering a shock from an electric fence. The elephant, which was knocked out for a couple of hours, left the area once it regained consciousness. The forest department has launched an inquiry into the matter.
A case has been registered and the department is looking into whether the electric fence has been placed there illegally.
"We are investigating the matter seriously. The forest department will investigate the legality of the fence and the presence of elephants in the region. We will take action on the basis of the outcome of the investigation,” said K G Anvar, Nilambur Forest Range Officer.
This is not a one-off case. The forest border of Nilambur has reported several cases of elephants trespassing recently. Some have destroyed acres of farmland and a few houses in the region as well.
According to U K Bindu, a councillor from the Karimpuzha ward in Nilambur municipality, there are two to three elephants in the area causing havoc in farmlands.
"Elephants have been causing issues in the region. They mostly come to eat jackfruit and destroy farms in the process. Complaints have been filed and the forest department is on the vigil,” said Bindu.
A lone tusker called Chakkakomban wreaked havoc in the Munderi farming area adjacent to the forest land for a few months. The elephant damaged agriculture in the region and many escaped narrowly from the tusker.
Karimbuzha Mathan,73, belonging to the Cholanaikar tribe and was invited as a special guest by the President for the Republic Day Parade, met with a tragic death after being gored by an elephant last year.
Many fear that free-roaming wild elephants in the region may cause more such deaths.
