Villagers drive away elephant damaging maize near Thalavadi

Wild Elephant Causes Crop Damage in Tamilpuram

A lone wild elephant entered a maize field late on Sunday night near Thalavadi. The elephant caused extensive damage to crops before villagers drove it back into the forest.

The incident took place in Tamilpuram village, which is under the Jeerahalli forest range. The elephant strayed from the forest, broke through wire fencing, and entered the agricultural land of farmer Nagaraj. It reportedly fed on maize cobs and damaged a large portion of the standing crop.

Farmers from nearby areas were alerted by the intrusion. They gathered and managed to chase the elephant back into the forest by bursting firecrackers and making loud noises.

Farmers noted that such incidents have become frequent. Wild elephants enter villages at night and damage crops like banana, sugarcane, and maize. Despite preventive measures, including fencing and CCTV cameras, crop losses continue.

They urged the forest department to take immediate steps to control the movement of the lone elephant. Farmers also demanded adequate compensation for the losses incurred due to crop destruction.