Gundlupet: Gundlupet town heaved a sigh of relief after the Forest Department successfully brought elephant Parthasarathi under control following a tense night of chaos.

The elephant, which had been brought in for a tiger-capturing operation near Kallahalli, ran amok after being stung by bees while drinking water at a lake on Friday evening.

Startled and agitated, Parthasarathi broke free from its handlers and dashed through Gundlupet town, causing panic but no injuries.

The tusker stormed through Panjanahalli Road, entered the National Highway, ran past the bus stand and Police Station, and continued towards Madahalli before heading along the Mallayyanapura Hill route towards Sultan Bathery Road. Disturbed further by traffic noise and lights, it remained uncontrollable until midnight.

A team of forest personnel finally tracked the elephant near Berambadi Lake around 3 am. Acting on the mahout’s directions, the team managed to calm the animal and bring it under control.

After a night of unrest, officials said Parthasarathi will be given a day’s rest before resuming duties. If the tiger is sighted again near Kallahalli, another elephant may be summoned from Bandipur to assist in the operation.