Wild elephant damages crops near Hebri

A wild elephant damages crops in Hebri, alarming locals and prompting government response to mitigate human-animal conflict.

A wild elephant was reportedly roaming around on the foothills of the Western Ghats in the jurisdiction of Hebri and Karkala taluks of Udupi district damaging crops in some farms.

Sources said that the elephant damaged the farms belonging to Tengumar Lakshmana Gowda, Ananda Gowda and Jayantha Gowda in Nadpalu village on Friday night. It destroyed some arecanut and coconut trees and banana plants in the village.

The jumbo was spotted on the top of Valikunja hill in the Kabbinale area and was roaming around in the forest fringes such as Kabbinale, Chara, Nadpalu, Varanga, Andaru, Shirlalu and Keruvashe.

The movement of the elephant has scared people living in the areas, sources said.

It may be noted that two persons were killed in an elephant attack at Kerekatte, near Sringeri, last year. The elephant was caught later.

Wild elephants attacking farm land has been on the rise in parts of Sullia, Kadaba, Puttur and Belthangady taluks in Dakshina Kannada in the two years.