Lone tusker creates havoc near Tibetan camp

• Destroys crops, compound, cowsheds, electric pole
• Youth throws fire to scare away the pachyderm

Hanagod: A lonely tusker, which entered human habitat, has destroyed crops, compounds, cowsheds and electric pole in Gurupura Tibetan Camp and Nagapura Tribal Hamlet yesterday afternoon.

A video of the elephant creating havoc, which has gone viral on social media, shows an angry youth trying to scare the elephant with fire and later throwing fire at the elephant only to be chased by it.

The elephant, which first entered Gurupura Tibetan Camp, destroyed compounds and then entered Nagapura Tribal Hamlet-Nagarahole Road, where it created tension among motorists and public for more than two hours. Later, it expressed its anger on an electric pole by ramming into it and breaking it.  As the elephant rammed into the electric pole, live power lines got tangled resulting in electric sparks. The elephant has also destroyed ginger crops grown in Nagapura and Tibetan Camp. 

Finally, the Forest Department staff with the help from the villagers managed to drive the elephant back to the forest.

The tusker had damaged a compound and a car at Gurupura Tibetan Camp two months ago, raided a house at Bharatawadi village and had also raided the quarters of Forest Department staff at Veeranahosahalli. It had also destroyed ginger, corn and banana crops at Nagapura and Penjahalli Tribal Hamlets causing huge loss to the growers.

Meanwhile, villagers, who alleged that the elephant was causing problems since two months and the Forest Department officials were not taking steps to prevent it, said that incidents of wild animals entering human habitat had increased in recent days.

Meanwhile, former Gram Panchayat President D.R. Mahesh, who has urged the Forest officials to capture the tusker, said that if the officials fail to capture the tusker, they (Forest officials) will be directly responsible for any untoward incidents caused by the tusker.