To check the jumbos from straying into villages, the people living on the border of Omkar Range have put up the solar fencing. This is preventing the elephants from visiting the villages regularly and feed on the standing crops.

According to sources, the profusion of eucalyptus trees in the range was hindering the movement of the elephants to forage. Last month, a jumbo starved to death.

Range Forest Officer Santoshkumar confirmed to Deccan Herald the shortage of fodder, but said the elephants faced no shortage of drinking water as a number of ponds had been constructed inside the forests.

The villagers felt that more number of elephants would die if the department failed to ensure availability of forage inside the forest.

Trampled to death

A man, apparently a destitute, was trampled to death by an elephant in Maddur forest range in the taluk, on Sunday.

According to police, he might have been trampled while walking on the road inside the forest. The deceased is aged around 40 and his identity is not known.

The post mortem was conducted at the taluk government hospital. Gundlupet police have registered a case.