Four Forest department personnel had a narrow escape when a wild jumbo attacked their vehicle at Onkar Range in Bandipur forest of Gundlupet taluk on Friday.
The personnel were travelling by the jeep during an operation to chase the wild jumbos that had strayed into the villages, when an irked wild jumbo attacked the vehicle.
The front portion of the vehicle has been damaged. Deputy Range Forest Officer K P Amar, employees Madappa, Shivu and Rajanna were in the vehicle. They have sustained minor injuries.
According to sources, a herd of elephants was camping near a water body at Onkar Range and were straying into the villages every day.
Based on the complaints by the villagers, the department took out an operation to drive the jumbos into the forest. It was at this time a tusker barged towards the vehicle and stamped the front portion and rammed it with its tusks and toppled the vehicle. The employees fled the spot to save their lives.
Assistant Conservator of Forest K Paramesh said, "The department received complaints about jumbo menace from the villagers. The personnel were there to drive them away, when the incident occurred. However, the employees are safe."
The Begur police have registered a case.
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