Elephants outsmart villagers, fill up trenches

Elephants have outwitted the villagers of Kajur, near Somvarpet, by filling up the elephant trenches.

Trenches were dug up near the forest areas by people so as to prevent the pachyderms from entering the villages.

Since lockdown, wild animals have been roaming freely on the roads. Herds of elephants are seen crossing the road near the coffee plantation owned by Tata company, near Kajur junction, in the limits of Aigur gram panchayat, daily from 6 am to 7 am and from 6 pm to 7 pm.

During the morning, the elephants come out from the forest and in the evening return to the forest by crossing the state highway passing through Kajur, villagers said.

The video clips captured by the villagers on their phones, are being circulated on social media.

Elephants are seen leading the herd comprising calves.

Macchanda Ashol, a resident of Yadavare village, said that the people had dug six-foot deep trenches near the road adjacent to the forests to prevent the elephants from crossing the road.

However, the elephants have outwitted the people by filling the trenches with the soil piled up next to the trenches and cross the trenches without much effort, he added.

Aigur Gram Panchayat member Dinesh said that the villagers who step out of their houses to purchase essential items had been cautioned about the free movement of the elephants on the road.

The local farmers said that the elephants had been coming out of the forests often as there is an acute shortage of fodder and water in the current summer season.

The forest department should plant saplings which can be source of food for herbivorous animals, including elephants. Bunds should be built across the natural streams in the forest. Also, the sources of water in the forest such as lakes, should be rejuvenated to provide water to the animals in the forest. If the food is available in the forest, they will not sneak into the plantations, the farmers added.

Tata company representative and elephant observer Mahesh said that water from the stream would be lifted and will be supplied to the dry lake in the forest.

RFO Shama said solar fences put up by coffee planters had been cleared. Some miscreants have been setting fire to the forest, which has caused a lot of trouble to the wild animals and they have been coming out of forest in search of food.