A wild elephant strayed into the eucalyptus plantation on the Karnatak University campus in Dharwad in the early hours of Sunday sending the staff and students into a tizzy.
The security personnel, who noticed the jumbo, informed the forest officials. A team of officials from the forest department rushed to the campus to chase the pachyderm back into the forest.
The Karnatak university campus spreads over 700 acres and has thick forest cover and hilly terrain. It is suspected that the elephant entered the campus from Kalghtagi forest in search of fodder.
Deputy Conservator of Forest Yashpal Ksheersagar said the forest officials will launch an operation to trace the elephant. He appealed to people staying on the varsity campus and those in the surrounding residential areas not to venture out till Monday morning.