JOIN USSub-head: Crowds hamper efforts to chase elephants back to forest
Two wild elephants which had caused a scare among people in the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border in Molkalmur taluk of the district, on Tuesday, were spotted in the fields at Thimmappaiahanahalli near Talaku in Challakere taluk.
The jumbos had been roaming in the inter-state border area over the last two days. They had, on Sunday, killed two persons.
Personnel of the forest and police departments had been waiting near the BTP reservoir, expecting them to come there through the Vedavathi river course. But the pachyderms changed their path.
The elephants have hid themselves among wild bushes. Passersby noticed the jumbos and informed the forest officials in the morning. Forest and police personnel burst crackers in an effort to chase away the elephants, by about 7.30 am.
Crowds started gathering as news spread about the presence of elephants. Following a request by deputy conservator of forests K B Manjunath, district superintendent of police Srinath Joshi deployed personnel of the district armed reserve to control the crowds.
Manjunath told DH that people have been told not to create noise as the scared jumbos may change their path and enter populated areas.
Sub-inspector Satish Nayak, assistant conservator of forests Suresh and other officials are camping at the spot.