Two wild tuskers stray into villages in Wayanad, alert issued

Wayanad: Two wild elephants that strayed from the forest under the Pulpally Forest Station limits have been roaming through farmlands and villages in Nelliyambam, Panamaram and Neervaram since Monday morning.

Efforts by special teams of the Forest Department to drive the animals back into the forest had not succeeded till noon. Officials believe the tuskers separated from their herd and lost their way after entering the farmlands on Sunday night.

The border villages in the region face elephant threats throughout the year. Crop-raiding cases had reduced in recent months after the Forest Department fenced large stretches of forest borders. However, the elephants reportedly broke through weak portions of the fence, using dried and fallen trees to enter the farms.

Forest officials said drying undergrowth and water scarcity inside the forest could have forced the animals to move towards human settlements.

The Panamaram panchayat has issued an alert asking residents not to step out unnecessarily as the elephants are constantly on the move.

South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Ajit K Raman said the entire Forest Department staff is engaged in efforts to guide the elephants back into the forest. He added that the animals are now moving towards the Neervaram forest area under the Pulpally Forest Station limits.

The Rapid Response Team of the South Wayanad Forest Division and teams from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary are also part of the operation.

The department had earlier warned about possible elephant movement as it is the migration season from drought-hit areas of the Nilgiri Biosphere to the water-rich forests of Wayanad. It has also dug ponds and built temporary check-dams inside forests to reduce wildlife movement towards human habitats in search of food and water.

Officials fear that if drought conditions worsen in parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu bordering Wayanad, incidents of wildlife straying into farmlands could increase further.