Herd of eight elephants damages ration shop near Coimbatore

Elephants damage ration shop near Coimbatore, eat rice, dal, sugar and wheat. Forest Dept. and villagers chase them away. Residents fear for lives and property due to frequent elephant entry. Forest Dept. urged to provide fodder and water in forests to prevent entry into villages.

A herd of eight elephants damaged a ration shop at Theethipalayam village near Coimbatore early on Tuesday (November 14, 2023) morning. The pachyderms ate rice, dal, sugar and wheat before they were chased away by Forest Department staff and village residents.

This is the second such incident this year near Coimbatore district: in July, a ration shop near Navavoor Pirivu was damaged by a tusker who ate the rice stored there.

Forest Department officials said Tuesday’s incident took place around 2 a.m. A herd, comprising a mother and a calf, damaged the rolling shutter of the ration shop. The elephants then put in their trunks through the gap and pulled out gunny bags containing rice, dal, sugar and wheat.

Residents of the locality were shocked to see a herd standing in front of the ration shop when they came out of their houses on hearing noises. They alerted the Forest Department and a boundary night patrol team rushed to the spot immediately.

The elephants ate the provisions and scattered the remainder in front of the ration shop in large quantities, before they were driven back to the forest by the frontline staff.

Residents from the locality told media persons that incidents of elephants entering the village were on the rise. They said that people were living in fear of losing their lives and properties due to the frequent entry of elephants into human habitations. They wanted the Forest Department to ensure the availability of fodder and water for elephants in forests itself, to prevent them from entering villages.